Search for Missing Climbers on Pakistan’s Broad Peak

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Rescuers seeking 10 climbers missing after an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak discovered four bodies on Friday, continuing their search for the remaining six despite challenging conditions. Officials shared this information but chose anonymity since they were not authorized to address the media.

Efforts are in motion to retrieve the bodies amidst severe weather, according to senior government officials. The identities of the discovered bodies were not immediately disclosed. Harsh weather has persistently affected the rescue operation, stated Gilgit-Baltistan region’s Chief Minister Amjad Hussain.

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The climbers lost contact with their base camp following an avalanche on Broad Peak as they attempted the ascent, explained Karrar Haidri, vice president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan. “The team has been out of communication since Thursday,” he noted, adding that military helicopters formed part of the search-and-rescue efforts.

Broad Peak (8,051 meters) and K2 (8,611 meters), the world’s second-highest peak, stand illuminated by the moon at Concordia, where the Baltoro and Godwin-Austen glaciers meet, in the Karakoram mountain range in Pakistan. This image was captured on Sept. 7, 2014, by Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters.

The search continued till Friday evening and is set to resume Saturday, officials said. According to the Alpine Club, the group included five Nepali climbers, Pakistani mountaineer Sohail Sakhi, Omani Nathira, American Mallory Geis, a Chinese climber identified only as Wang, and another foreign climber.

China’s government is verifying if any of its nationals are among the missing 10 climbers. “We will provide assistance to Chinese citizens in need and offer help based on the needs of the Pakistani side,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated Friday in Beijing.

The expedition’s leader was renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, a Nepal-born veteran of the British army, commonly known as Nims Dai. In 2019, he climbed the world’s 14 highest peaks in 189 days, as depicted in the Netflix documentary, “14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible.” His record was surpassed in 2023.

Background

Late last month, Moving Mountains, a Pakistan-based travel company, announced the expedition’s progress toward Askole and expressed well-wishes for their Broad Peak climb. Geis attempted an 8,000-meter peak for the first time in Pakistan, whereas Sakhi anticipated it to be his final such attempt. Sakhi, serving as a guide for Moving Mountains, is also a geographer and high-altitude photographer, with experience climbing major world peaks, according to the company’s website.

Geis, 39, from San Antonio, declared on social media earlier this year her decision to close her Pilates studio to embrace the uncertainty of life’s adventures, expectantly involving helmets, harnesses, and crampons.

At 8,047 meters, Broad Peak is the world’s 12th-highest mountain, nestled in Pakistan’s Karakoram range which houses five of the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000 meters. This region attracts climbers globally. Climbs in northern Pakistan often face accidents due to avalanches and rapidly shifting weather patterns.

Khan reported from Peshawar, Pakistan. AP journalist E. Eduardo Castillo in Beijing and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.

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