Final K2 survivor airlifted from mountain

A Pakistani helicopter airlifted an Italian climber from K2 Wednesday, five days after he survived an ice avalanche which killed 11 others on the world's second highest peak, officials said.

Frostbitten Marco Confortola, 37, hobbled into the 5,200-metre (17,060-foot) base camp on the mountain on Tuesday but had to spend another night there when bad weather grounded helicopters.

"Marco has been rescued by a helicopter from the base camp this morning," Italian embassy spokesman Oddo Sergio told AFP.

"He is about to arrive in the town of Skardu, where he will undergo medical examination and hopefully fly to Islamabad today," Sergio said.

A spokesman for the army-linked firm that operates the helicopter, Askari Aviation, confirmed that it had taken off in the early morning to rescue Confortola after the weather had cleared.

"We are waiting for it to return," the spokesman said.