Double Olympic gold medallist Laura Dahlmeier dies following horrific mountaineering incident

A skiing star who scored two Olympic gold medals has sadly passed away after she was 'seriously injured' in a mountaineering accident.

Authorities in Pakistan launched a frantic search for Laura Dahlmeier, 31, on Monday (28 July) after she went 'missing' in the Karakoram Mountains.

The retired biathlete, from Germany, is said to have been scaling the 20,000ft tall Laila Peak, which has a spear-like shape, with her rope partner when horror struck.

It is believed that Laura was at approximately 18,700 feet when falling rocks crashed into her as she scaled Karakoram.

Pakistani officials later announced they had been unable to locate her, with provincial government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq saying earlier this week: "She is missing. We are searching. No one knows where she is."

It has since been announced that Laura has passed away following the tragic incident two days previously.

German biathlete Laura Dahlmeier was fatally injured during the incident on the mountain range in Pakistan (Instagram/@laura_dahlmeier)

Laura's management said that the experienced mountaineer was caught in the rockfall at around dinnertime on Monday, adding that her companion 'immediately called emergency services'.

A rescue mission was launched in the hopes that Laura would be found alive, with two teams of expert climbers from both the US and Germany being brought in.

Members of the Pakistani military also took part in the efforts to find track the former sports star down.

Tragically, 48 hours after the rescue mission began, it was announced that Laura was deceased.

The biathelete - who won two golds and one bronze medal for Germany at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in 2018 - was described as a 'state-certified mountain and ski guide, an active member of the mountain rescue service' by her team, who emphasised that she was an 'experienced and risk-aware mountaineer'.

A statement explained that Laura's body currently remains on the mountain, due to the 'prevailing difficult conditions with rockfall and a change in the weather on Laila Peak'.

The 31-year-old, who won gold twice at the Winter Olympics, had been in the country for the last month (Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

"Due to the ongoing high risk of rockfall, no one has been able to reach her," Laura's team said in a statement via her social media account.

"A helicopter overhead determined that the experienced mountaineer was at least seriously injured. No signs of life were detected."

The statement went on to explain that Laura and a pal were scaling the mountain 'alpine style' when they were ambushed by the rockfall.

The Olympian had been in the region since the end of June with a group of friends and successfully scaled the Trango Towers mountain range, which is more than 20,000 ft tall, on 8 July.

"Laila Peak was the second planned summit goal," the statement added.

Laura retired from competing in biathlon at the age of 25 after a glittering career which saw her become a seven-time world champion.

Paying tribute to the sports star, the German Olympic Sports Confederation said in a post on X: "She was more than an Olympic champion - she was someone with heart, attitude and vision."