(MENAFN) A German Olympic gold medalist and renowned mountaineer has been confirmed dead following a climbing accident in northern Pakistan, officials said Wednesday.

Laura Dahlmeier sustained critical injuries and became stranded while attempting to summit Laila Peak, located in the Karakoram range, on Monday.

"German Olympic champion Laura Dahlmeier was confirmed dead on Wednesday after a tragic mountaineering accident in the high mountains of Pakistan," stated Karrar Haidri, vice president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, the nation's primary mountaineering authority.

"Despite tireless efforts by the local rescue teams, persistent adverse weather severely hampered rescue operations," he added.

Dahlmeier, 31, a former biathlon star who also clinched the women’s overall title in the 2017 Biathlon World Cup, was struck by falling rocks while climbing Laila Peak at approximately 5,700 meters (18,700 feet) in Gilgit-Baltistan, a remote region bordering China.

Her climbing companion, Marina Eva, escaped injury and managed to descend to base camp safely on Tuesday, aided by local rescuers.

Northern Gilgit-Baltistan is a high-altitude zone home to five of the world's 14 peaks that rise above 8,000 meters (26,246 feet), including the notorious K2, a region known for its perilous mountaineering conditions.

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