Rescuers have located four bodies while searching for ten missing climbers after an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak. They recovered three bodies despite challenging weather conditions that hampered helicopter operations, as reported by authorities.
A statement from the regional government of Gilgit-Baltistan identified the recovered bodies as Nepali climber Pur Bahadur Gurung, Omani climber Nathira Ahmed, and American climber Mallory Geis. These bodies have been transported to a hospital. Officials noted that while a fourth body was spotted, it remains unidentified.
Harsh weather has been a significant obstacle, hindering rescue operations, according to the region’s Chief Minister, Amjad Hussain. The climbers lost contact with their base camp following an avalanche while attempting to summit Broad Peak, stated Karrar Haidri, Vice President of the Alpine Club of Pakistan. “The team has been unreachable since Thursday,” he mentioned, adding that army helicopters were involved in the rescue attempts.
Authorities continued the search for the missing climbers into Friday afternoon, with plans to resume on Saturday. The expedition included five Nepali climbers, Omani and American climbers, a Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi, a Chinese climber identified as Wang, and another foreign climber.
The Chinese government, on Friday, sought confirmation on the status of its nationals among the missing. “We will provide assistance to Chinese citizens if needed and are ready to offer help according to Pakistani requirements,” stated Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, in Beijing.
The expedition was led by celebrated mountaineer Nirmal Purja, a former British army soldier known as Nims Dai. He achieved fame in 2019 for climbing the 14 highest global peaks in a record 189 days, an achievement featured in the Netflix documentary “14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible.” His record was surpassed in 2023.
Moving Mountains, a Pakistan-based travel company, announced the expedition’s departure towards the village of Askole, wishing the climbers a safe journey on Broad Peak. This was Geis’s first attempt at an 8,000-meter peak in Pakistan and potentially the last attempt for Sakhi, who worked as a guide, as well as a geographer and high-altitude photographer.
Geis, 39, from San Antonio, closed her Pilates studio earlier this year to pursue her mountaineering dreams, sharing online her leap “into the unknown with lots of helmets, harnesses, and crampons involved.”
Broad Peak, standing at 8,047 meters (26,401 feet), ranks as the world’s twelfth highest mountain. Located in Pakistan’s Karakoram Range, it hosts five of the 14 peaks exceeding 8,000 meters, attracting climbers worldwide.
Mountaineering accidents are common in northern Pakistan, primarily due to avalanches and rapidly changing weather conditions.
Reporting contributions by AP journalists in Beijing and Seattle.
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