Irish man missing after reaching K2 summit

A climbing website has posted an alert that Irish climber Gerard McDonnell has disappeared hours after reaching the summit of K2 in the Himalayas.

The Co Limerick man became the first Irish person to reach the peak of the world's most dangerous mountain but reports describe his team as "missing" in the last two hours.

Mr McDonnell, 37, who is originally from Kilcornan, successfully reached the summit of K2 yesterday evening.

The 8,600-metre mountain is the second highest in the world, after Everest.

Mr McDonnell, an oil company employee who lives in Alaska, has scaled the peak as part of an international group that includes Dutch, Australian and Nepalese climbers.