07/31/26 11:41:00
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07/31 11:39 CDT Pakistani rescuers recover 3 bodies of the 10 climbers missing
on Broad Peak after an avalanche
Pakistani rescuers recover 3 bodies of the 10 climbers missing on Broad Peak
after an avalanche
By MUNIR AHMED and RIAZ KHAN
Associated Press
ISLAMABAD (AP) --- Rescuers searching for 10 climbers missing after an
avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak found four bodies and recovered three of
them Friday and were continuing to search for the other missing climbers
despite adverse weather that hampered helicopter flights, officials said.
A statement from the regional Gilgt-Baltistan government identified the three
recovered bodies as Nepalese climber Pur Bahadur Gurung, Omani climber Nathira
Ahmed and American climber Mallory Geis. It said the bodies had been
transported to a hospital.
The announcement came hours after officials said search teams had located the
remains of four climbers despite harsh weather. The officials spoke on
condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
They did not immediately identify the fourth body that had been spotted.
Bad weather continued to hamper the rescue effort Friday, according to a
statement from the Gilgit-Baltistan region's Chief Minister Amjad Hussain.
The climbers lost contact with their base camp after an avalanche struck Broad
Peak while they were attempting to scale the mountain, said Karrar Haidri, vice
president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan. "The team has been out of
communication since Thursday," said Haidri, adding that army helicopters were
part of the search-and-rescue operation.
Authorities said the search for the missing climbers continued until Friday
evening and would resume Saturday.
According to the Alpine Club, the expedition comprised five Nepali climbers in
addition to the Omani and American climbers, as well as Pakistani climber
Sohail Sakhi, a Chinese climber identified only as Wang, and one other foreign
climber.
On Friday, China's government said it was trying to verify whether any of its
nationals were among the 10 climbers missing.
"We will provide assistance to Chinese citizens in need and are also willing to
offer help in accordance with the needs of the Pakistani side," Chinese Foreign
Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Friday in Beijing.
The expedition leader was the renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, a Nepal-born
former soldier in the British army widely known as Nims Dai. He climbed the
world's 14 highest peaks in a record 189 days in 2019, an achievement featured
in the Netflix documentary, "14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible." His record was
surpassed in 2023.
Moving Mountains, a travel company based in Pakistan, announced late last month
that the expedition team was on its way to the small town of Askole and wished
them a safe journey climbing Broad Peak. The company said this was Geis' first
try at an 8,000-meter peak in Pakistan, while it was expected to be Sakhi's
final one.
Sakhi is a guide for the company, as well as a geographer and high-altitude
photographer, and has climbed some of the world's major peaks, according to
Moving Mountains' website.
Geis, 39, lives in San Antonio. She announced on social media earlier this year
that she was closing her Pilates studio to take "a giant leap of faith into the
unknown to see where life goes. I have a sneaking suspicion there will be lots
of helmets, harnesses, and crampons involved."
Broad Peak, at 8,047 meters (26,401 feet), is the world's 12th-highest
mountain. It lies in Pakistan's Karakoram range, home to five of the world's 14
peaks above 8,000 meters, attracting climbers from around the globe.
Accidents are common during climbing expeditions in northern Pakistan because
of avalanches and rapidly changing weather.
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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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