Search Continues for Missing Climbers in Pakistan After Avalanche

Rescue teams searching for ten missing climbers after an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak discovered four bodies on Friday, recovering three despite bad weather hindering helicopter flights, according to authorities.

A regional government statement from Gilgit-Baltistan identified the three recovered bodies as Nepali climber Pur Bahadur Gurung, Omani climber Nathira Ahmed, and American climber Mallory Geis. The bodies were transported to a hospital.

The announcement followed earlier reports that search teams had located the remains of four mountaineers despite harsh weather conditions. The fourth body was not immediately identified as efforts continued amidst difficult weather, according to Amjad Hussain, the Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan.

According to Karrar Haidri, Vice President of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, the climbers lost contact with their base camp after the avalanche while attempting to reach the summit. “The team has been unreachable since Thursday,” he said, noting that army helicopters are involved in the operation.

Authorities stated that the search for missing climbers persisted into Friday afternoon and would resume on Saturday. The expedition comprised five Nepali climbers, along with Omani and American climbers, Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi, a Chinese mountaineer identified only as Wang, and another foreign climber.

On Friday, China’s government mentioned efforts to verify if any of its nationals were among the ten missing mountaineers. “We will provide assistance to Chinese citizens in need and are also ready to offer help according to the Pakistani side’s requirements,” stated Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry in Beijing.

The expedition leader, renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, formerly of the British army and originally from Nepal, gained fame as Nims Dai. In 2019, he scaled the world’s 14 highest peaks in a record 189 days, a feat documented in the Netflix film “14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible.” His record was surpassed in 2023.

Moving Mountains, a Pakistan-based travel company, had announced the expedition’s departure towards the small town of Askole last month, wishing them a safe journey to climb Broad Peak. The company noted that this was Geis’s first attempt at an 8,000-meter peak in Pakistan, while it was expected to be Sakhi’s last.

Sakhi, a guide for the company, is also a geographer and high-altitude photographer, having summited major mountains worldwide, according to Moving Mountains’ website. Geis, aged 39 from San Antonio, declared earlier this year that she was closing her Pilates studio to “take a big leap of faith into the unknown to see where life takes me. I suspect there will be many helmets, harnesses, and crampons involved.”

Broad Peak, standing at 8,047 meters (26,401 feet), is the world’s twelfth highest mountain. Located in Pakistan’s Karakoram range, it is home to five of the 14 peaks exceeding 8,000 meters, attracting climbers globally.

Accidents during climbing expeditions in northern Pakistan are common due to avalanches and rapidly changing weather conditions.