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Broad Peak Avalanche: Four Bodies Found, Six Climbers Still Missing — AI-generated representative image: A view of Broad Peak in the Karakoram range where search operations continue after an avalanche left four climbers dead and s

Editorial Team

Nirmal Purja among 10 climbers caught in suspected avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak; search operations continue in harsh Karakoram conditions

Pakistani search crews have located the bodies of four climbers following a suspected avalanche on Broad Peak that left at least 10 mountaineers missing, officials confirmed on Friday. The climbers, led by renowned Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, lost communication late Thursday while on an expedition in the Karakoram mountain range of northern Pakistan.

The incident has drawn international attention due to Purja's prominence in the mountaineering world. The 43-year-old holds the record for the fastest ascent of all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres and was part of the first team to complete a winter ascent of K2. The multinational composition of the expedition team has prompted responses from several governments, including China, which has offered assistance.

Search and Recovery Efforts

Efforts to retrieve the four bodies were underway Friday despite harsh weather conditions, according to Pakistani sources cited by the Associated Press and Reuters. Authorities have not yet identified which climbers the recovered bodies belong to.

Sajid Hussain, deputy director of the tourism department in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region, told Reuters that the search for the remaining six climbers is concentrating on a "remote and difficult area." The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) stated that helicopter support and all available rescue resources were being mobilized "at the earliest opportunity, subject to weather and operational conditions."

The Expedition and the Mountain

Broad Peak, standing at 8,047 metres, is the 12th-highest mountain in the world and lies in the Karakoram range. The expedition comprised 10 climbers of diverse nationalities: five Nepalese, Pakistani mountaineer Sohail Sakhi from Hunza, Omani climber Nathira, American climber Mallory Geis, and a Chinese climber identified only as Wang. Police separately indicated that two British nationals, a man and a woman, were also part of the missing team, though they did not confirm the presence of a US citizen.

The ACP reported that the entire team had been out of communication since the avalanche struck. The club described receiving "deeply concerning reports" of the incident and has been coordinating the emergency response.

International Response and Purja's Legacy

China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Beijing was "urgently working to verify and understand the situation" and expressed willingness to provide assistance to Pakistan. The multinational nature of the expedition has heightened diplomatic attention on the rescue operation.

Purja, 43, transitioned to full-time mountaineering in 2018 after leaving the British military. His most celebrated achievement came between April and October 2019, when he climbed all 14 "eight-thousanders" in six months and six days, setting a world record. In 2021, he and nine other Nepali climbers completed the first winter ascent of K2, the world's second-highest peak and one of the most dangerous mountains to climb.

What Comes Next

As of Friday, search teams continue to operate in challenging terrain and weather conditions. The identities of the four recovered bodies remain unconfirmed, and the fate of the six other climbers is still unknown. Rescue authorities have not provided a timeline for the completion of operations, with progress dependent on weather and operational conditions in the remote area of Gilgit-Baltistan.

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