Rescuers Recover Bodies of Climbers from Pakistan’s Broad Peak

Rescuers searching for ten missing climbers after an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak discovered four bodies on Friday. They managed to recover three of them despite adverse weather conditions hindering helicopter flights, according to local authorities.

Identification of Recovered Bodies

The regional government of Gilgit-Baltistan identified the three climbers whose bodies were retrieved as Nepalese climber Pur Bahadur Gurung, Omani climber Nathira Ahmed, and American climber Mallory Geis. Their bodies were transported to a hospital.

The announcement followed reports from senior government officials who said that search teams had located the remains of four climbers despite harsh weather conditions. The officials, who spoke anonymously due to not being authorized to talk to the press, did not immediately identify the fourth body that had been spotted.

Continued Search Amid Adverse Conditions

Inclement weather continued to hamper rescue efforts on Friday, according to Amjad Hussain, the chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan. The climbers lost contact with their base camp after an avalanche while attempting to reach the summit, explained Karrar Haidri, vice president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan. “The team has been out of contact since Thursday,” Haidri added, noting that army helicopters were involved in the operation.

Authorities confirmed that the search for the missing climbers persisted into Friday afternoon and would resume on Saturday. The Alpine Club stated that the expedition included five Nepalese climbers, the Omani and American climbers, as well as Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi, a Chinese climber identified only as Wang, and another foreign climber.

China’s Involvement

China’s government indicated it was working to verify whether any of its nationals were among the missing climbers. “We will provide assistance to any Chinese citizens in need and are also ready to offer help according to the needs of the Pakistani side,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning stated in Beijing on Friday.

About the Expedition

The expedition was led by renowned climber Nirmal Purja, a former British Army soldier from Nepal, also known as Nims Dai. In 2019, he climbed the world’s 14 highest peaks in a record time of 189 days, a feat documented in the Netflix film “14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible.” His record was surpassed in 2023.

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

Sakhi serves as a guide with the company and is also a high-altitude geographer and photographer, having summited some of the world’s major mountains, according to the Moving Mountains website. Geis, 39, lives in San Antonio. Earlier this year, she announced on social media that she was closing her Pilates studio to take “a big leap of faith into the unknown” to pursue her adventures in life, which often involved helmets, harnesses, and crampons.

The Challenges of Climbing Broad Peak

The Broad Peak, at 8,047 meters (26,401 feet), is the 12th highest mountain in the world. It is located in Pakistan’s Karakoram range, which is home to five of the 14 peaks exceeding 8,000 meters, attracting climbers worldwide. Climbing accidents are common in northern Pakistan due to avalanches and rapidly changing weather conditions.

Additional reporting by E. Eduardo Castillo in Beijing and Hallie Golden in Seattle. Translated into Spanish by an AP editor with assistance from AI.