A search-and-rescue operation in Pakistan’s Karakoram range recovered four bodies Friday following an avalanche on Broad Peak that left 10 climbers missing. The climbing team lost contact with their base camp after the avalanche struck while they were attempting to scale the mountain. Adverse weather conditions continued to impede recovery efforts and helicopter flights throughout the search operation, according to officials from the Gilgit-Baltistan region.
The expedition included climbers from multiple nations: five Nepali mountaineers, Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi, Omani climber Nathira, American climber Mallory Geis, a Chinese climber identified as Wang, and another foreign mountaineer. The team was led by renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, a Nepal-born former British army soldier known professionally as Nims Dai, who gained international recognition for summiting the world’s 14 highest peaks in a record timeframe in 2019, a feat documented in a Netflix film. His record was later surpassed in 2023.
Geis, 39, from San Antonio, had announced earlier this year that she was closing her Pilates business to pursue mountaineering. Sakhi, a guide for Moving Mountains travel company, is a geographer and high-altitude photographer. China’s Foreign Ministry stated it was attempting to verify whether any of its nationals were among the missing climbers and offered assistance if needed. Broad Peak, at 8,047 meters elevation, ranks as the world’s 12th-highest mountain and is located in Pakistan’s Karakoram range. Avalanches and rapidly changing weather conditions are common hazards during climbing expeditions in the region.
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