Climbers Missing After Avalanche Strikes Broad Peak

A team of ten international climbers has gone missing following an avalanche on Broad Peak, one of the world’s highest mountains, located in northern Pakistan. Led by a well-known Nepal-born mountaineer, the team faced the unexpected avalanche on this challenging climb. Broad Peak, standing at 26,401 feet, ranks as the 12th-highest mountain globally and lies in Pakistan’s Karakoram range.

The Alpine Club of Pakistan reported that Nirmal Purja, the expedition leader, and the climbers have lost communication since the avalanche hit. This team includes five Nepalese climbers, a Pakistani mountaineer from Hunza named Sohail Sakhi, Omani climber Nathira, American climber Mallory Geis, a Chinese climber identified as Wang, along with one other foreign climber.

The club’s vice president, Karrar Haidri, stated that they are working closely with government officials to launch a rapid search-and-rescue mission. The deployment of helicopters and other rescue resources is underway, though it depends on weather and operational conditions.

Nirmal Purja, a Nepal-born British mountaineer often referred to as Nims Dai, holds a distinguished reputation in the climbing community. In 2019, he accomplished the incredible feat of scaling the world’s 14 highest peaks in just 189 days. His record stood until 2023 when a new record was set by a Norwegian woman and her Nepali Sherpa guide. Purja’s exploits were captured in the Netflix documentary, “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.”

Pakistan boasts numerous prominent mountain peaks, attracting climbers from across the globe. The country’s challenging summits are popular destinations for enthusiastic mountaineers.

Maj. Gen. Irfan Arshad, president of the Alpine Club, emphasized their commitment to tracking the situation carefully and coordinating efforts with relevant stakeholders. The organization expressed its solidarity with the climbers’ families and the global mountaineering community during this difficult time.