Key facts
- Search teams are on foot looking for 10 climbers killed in an avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak.
- Helicopters are grounded due to weather, hindering recovery efforts.
- Eight climbers' remains have been located, with at least three bodies recovered.
- Nirmal Purja, a renowned mountaineer, is among those believed to have died.
Search teams are continuing their efforts on foot to locate 10 climbers who were killed in an avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak. Bad weather has grounded helicopters, significantly hampering the rescue and recovery operation. The climbers were from various nationalities including Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, China, Britain, and the United States.
Aerial drone footage has spotted seven climbers, but their identities and conditions remain unverified. Earlier reports indicated that four bodies had been found, with three confirmed recovered on Saturday. Among the deceased are Pur Bahadur Gurung (Nepali), Nadhira Alharthy (Omani), and Mallory Geis (US).
World-renowned Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, also known as Nims Dai, is among the 11 climbers who were caught in the avalanche. Purja, a former British special forces member, is famous for climbing all 14 peaks over 8,000 meters in a record six months in 2019. His business partner noted that Purja's tracking device showed movement after the initial incident, suggesting a possible shift in location.
The avalanche occurred near 9 am local time at an altitude of 6,579 meters on the mountain's west ridge. GPS data indicated sudden and significant altitude descents for some climbers, including Geis and Alharthy. Broad Peak, located on the border of Pakistan and China, is the 12th highest mountain in the world at 8,047 meters.
Rescue efforts have been complicated by the weather and the limited availability of military-run helicopters in Pakistan, unlike the more established private helicopter services in Nepal. Searches were halted as night fell on Friday.