Key facts
- Pakistani military helicopters airlifted the bodies of five climbers from Broad Peak.
- The climbers were killed in an avalanche on July 31.
- Renowned British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja was among the deceased.
- The recovery operation has brought the total number of recovered bodies to eight.
- Two climbers remain missing.
- The bodies were transported to a military hospital in Skardu.
Pakistani military helicopters on Thursday airlifted the bodies of five climbers from Broad Peak, nearly a week after an avalanche killed members of a 10-person international expedition. The remains of those who perished in the July 31 avalanche were transferred to a military hospital in Skardu.
Three bodies had been recovered on August 1, and Thursday's airlift brought the total number of recovered bodies to eight. Among the deceased was renowned British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja. Two climbers remain missing, and the search continues for what the Alpine Club of Pakistan described as one of the country's deadliest mountaineering disasters.
The bodies of Purja, Chinese climber Zhong Wang, and Nepali climbers Nima Sherpa, Gyalu Sherpa, and Kilu Sherpa were flown from Broad Peak's base camp to Skardu before onward transport to the hospital. The international team comprised climbers from Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, China, Britain, and the United States.
Following coordination with the embassies of the victims' home countries, the bodies are slated to be flown to Pakistan's capital, Islamabad. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had previously expressed condolences to the families and affirmed Pakistan's commitment to the recovery operation.