A search and rescue operation concluded with the recovery of three bodies after an avalanche struck Broad Peak in Pakistan’s Karakoram range on Thursday. Authorities identified the recovered climbers as Pur Bahadur Gurung from Nepal, Nathira Ahmed from Oman, and Mallory Geis from the United States. A fourth body was located but not immediately recovered. The climbing expedition lost contact with base camp following the avalanche while attempting to summit the 8,047-meter peak.
The ten-member team comprised mountaineers from multiple nations, including five Nepali climbers, the Omani climber, the American climber, Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi, a Chinese climber, and one additional foreign climber. The expedition was led by Nirmal Purja, a renowned mountaineer known for scaling the world’s 14 highest peaks in a record timeframe, an accomplishment documented in a Netflix film. Geis, aged 39 from San Antonio, was undertaking her first 8,000-meter peak expedition, while for Sakhi it was anticipated to be his final high-altitude climb.
Weather conditions significantly impeded the rescue effort, with regional officials stating that harsh conditions hampered helicopter operations throughout Friday. Search teams continued operations until evening with plans to resume Saturday. The Alpine Club of Pakistan confirmed that army helicopters participated in the search-and-rescue mission. China indicated it was working to verify whether any of its nationals were among the missing climbers and offered assistance to Pakistan as needed.
Broad Peak ranks as the world’s 12th-highest mountain and is located within the Karakoram range, which contains five of Earth’s 14 peaks exceeding 8,000 meters. The region attracts climbers globally but is known for dangerous conditions, with avalanches and unpredictable weather patterns frequently causing incidents during mountaineering expeditions in northern Pakistan.
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