Pakistani rescue teams located four bodies and successfully recovered three of them Friday following an avalanche that struck Broad Peak, one of the world’s highest mountains. The recovered climbers were identified as Pur Bahadur Gurung from Nepal, Nathira Ahmed from Oman, and Mallory Geis from the United States. The bodies were transported to a hospital, though authorities did not immediately identify the fourth body that had been spotted. The mountaineering expedition lost contact with its base camp after the avalanche occurred while the team was attempting to reach the summit.
Bad weather conditions significantly impeded the search and rescue operation throughout Friday, according to regional officials. Army helicopters participated in the efforts, though flights remained limited due to the harsh conditions. Karrar Haidri, vice president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, stated that the team had been out of communication since Thursday. Rescue operations continued through Friday evening, with authorities indicating that the search would resume Saturday.
The expedition comprised ten climbers of varying nationalities, including five from Nepal, climbers from Oman, the United States, China, and Pakistan, and one additional foreign climber. The expedition was led by Nirmal Purja, a renowned mountaineer known for climbing the world’s 14 highest peaks in a record timeframe. Geis was attempting her first ascent of an 8,000-meter peak, while Sohail Sakhi, a Pakistani guide and photographer with the expedition, intended this climb to be his final major expedition.
Broad Peak stands at 8,047 meters and ranks as the world’s 12th-highest mountain, located within Pakistan’s Karakoram range. The region experiences frequent mountaineering accidents due to avalanches and unpredictable weather patterns. China’s Foreign Ministry indicated it was attempting to verify whether any of its nationals were among the missing climbers and offered assistance to Pakistani authorities as needed.
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