Search and rescue teams operating in Pakistan’s Karakoram range recovered three bodies on Friday after an avalanche struck Broad Peak, a mountain standing at 8,047 meters. The regional Gilgit-Baltistan government identified the recovered climbers as Nepalese mountaineer Pur Bahadur Gurung, Omani climber Nathira Ahmed, and American climber Mallory Geis. Officials also located a fourth body but had not immediately identified it.
The group of 10 climbers lost contact with their base camp Thursday after the avalanche occurred while they were ascending the peak. 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 climbing the world’s 14 highest mountains in a record 189 days in 2019. Karrar Haidri, vice president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, confirmed that army helicopters participated in the search operation.
Difficult weather conditions significantly impacted rescue efforts throughout Friday, with Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Amjad Hussain noting that harsh conditions prevented search and rescue helicopters from operating effectively. Authorities indicated search operations would resume Saturday. The expedition comprised climbers from multiple countries, including five from Nepal, one from Oman, one from the United States, one Pakistani guide, one Chinese national, and one additional foreign climber.
Broad Peak ranks as the world’s 12th-highest mountain and is located within the Karakoram range, which contains five of the planet’s 14 peaks exceeding 8,000 meters. The region regularly attracts mountaineers from around the globe but remains hazardous due to avalanches and unpredictable weather patterns. Geis, age 39 and based in San Antonio, was attempting her first 8,000-meter peak in Pakistan, while the expedition was scheduled to be the final major climb for Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi.
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