Search Operation for Missing Climbers on Broad Peak Continues

Rescuers searching for 10 missing climbers after an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak found four bodies on Friday. They successfully retrieved three bodies, with efforts ongoing despite adverse weather affecting helicopter flights, authorities reported.

A government statement from Gilgt-Baltistán identified the recovered bodies as Nepalese climber Pur Bahadur Gurung, Omani climber Nathira Ahmed, and American climber Mallory Geis. These bodies have been transported to a hospital.

The announcement followed earlier reports from senior government officials who mentioned locating four climbers’ remains despite harsh weather conditions. The officials, requesting anonymity, did not immediately identify the fourth body spotted. Rescue operations were hindered by poor weather on Friday, according to Amjad Hussain, the region’s chief minister.

Karrar Haidri, vice president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, stated that the climbers lost contact with their base camp after an avalanche during their summit attempt. “The team has been out of communication since Thursday,” he said, noting that army helicopters were involved in the operation.

Authorities maintained the search for the missing climbers through Friday afternoon and planned to resume on Saturday. According to the Alpine Club, the expedition consisted of five Nepalese climbers, the Omani and American climbers, Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi, a Chinese climber only identified as Wang, and another foreign national. On Friday, China’s government checked if any of its nationals were among the missing climbers. “We will assist Chinese citizens in need and offer help as required by Pakistan,” stated Mao Ning, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, in Beijing.

The expedition was led by renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, a former British Army soldier originally from Nepal, widely known as Nims Dai. In 2019, he scaled the world’s 14 highest peaks in a record 189 days, a feat featured in the Netflix documentary “14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible.” His record was surpassed in 2023.

Pakistan-based travel company Moving Mountains announced last month that the expedition was heading to the small village of Askole, wishing them a safe journey to climb Broad Peak. They noted this was Geis’s first attempt at an 8,000-meter peak in Pakistan, and expected Sakhi’s last.

Sakhi, a guide for the company, is also a geographer and high-altitude photographer, having summited several major mountains worldwide, according to the Moving Mountains website. Geis, 39, from San Antonio, shared earlier this year on social media about closing her Pilates studio to take “a big leap of faith into the unknown” seeking new life experiences, expressing anticipation for “helmets, harnesses, and crampons.”

At 8,047 meters (26,401 feet), Broad Peak ranks as the 12th tallest mountain globally, situated in the Karakoram range in Pakistan. This region hosts five of the 14 peaks exceeding 8,000 meters, attracting climbers from across the globe. Climbing expeditions in northern Pakistan often encounter accidents due to avalanches and rapidly changing weather conditions.