Search and rescue teams in Pakistan located four bodies and recovered three of them on Friday following an avalanche on Broad Peak that left ten climbers missing. The Gilgit-Baltistan regional government identified the recovered bodies as Nepalese climber Pur Bahadur Gurung, Omani climber Nathira Ahmed, and American climber Mallory Geis. The fourth body that was spotted has not yet been identified. Hospital officials confirmed that the three recovered bodies had been transported for further processing.
The climbing expedition lost contact with base camp after the avalanche struck while the team was ascending Broad Peak, according to Karrar Haidri, vice president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan. Communication with the group was lost starting Thursday, and search operations continued through Friday with army helicopters supporting the effort. Regional officials cited deteriorating weather as a significant obstacle to rescue operations, though authorities indicated that searches would resume the following day.
Broad Peak stands at 8,047 meters and ranks as the world’s 12th-highest mountain. Located in Pakistan’s Karakoram range, it is one of five peaks above 8,000 meters in that region. The expedition team consisted of five Nepali climbers, one Omani climber, one American climber, one Pakistani guide, one Chinese climber, and one additional foreign climber. The expedition was led by Nirmal Purja, a Nepal-born mountaineer and former British army soldier known for climbing the world’s fourteen highest peaks in 189 days in 2019, an accomplishment documented in a Netflix production.
Accidents during climbing expeditions in northern Pakistan occur regularly due to avalanches and unpredictable weather patterns. China indicated it was working to confirm whether any of its nationals were among the missing climbers and offered to provide assistance as needed. Moving Mountains, a Pakistan-based travel company organizing the expedition, had announced the team’s departure for the region the previous month. The expedition marked Geis’ first attempt at an 8,000-meter peak in Pakistan and was intended to be the final major expedition for Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi.
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