Pakistan: Bodies found after international mountaineers vanish on Broad Peak
Rescuers were looking for an international group of climbers, including famous mountaineer Nirmal Purja, following a suspected avalanche at Pakistan's Broad Peak mountain. Authorities say
Rescuers were looking for an international group of climbers, including famous mountaineer Nirmal Purja, following a suspected avalanche at Pakistan's Broad Peak mountain. Authorities say several bodies have been found. Pakistani rescuers backed by military helicopters found four bodies on Friday after a suspected avalanche on Broad Peak mountain. The team, which includes renowned Nepal-born British mountaineer Nirmal Purja, lost contact with base camp yesterday, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan. What do we know about the missing mountaineers? Two Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters joined the operation on Friday, while an experienced ground team deployed to the area where the group of at least 10 climbers was last believed to have been. "The team has been out of communication since Thursday," Alpine Club vice president Karrar Haidri said.
Authorities were in contact with the climbers' families, he added. Pakistani security sources said the four bodies were located but had not yet been recovered. Chhang Dawa Sherpa, a director at trekking company Seven Summit Treks, said the climbers were believed to have been swept away by an avalanche at around 6,600 meters (21,650 feet). The Alpine Club said also said it had received "deeply concerning reports" that the avalanche struck the expedition around midday on Thursday. "The Alpine Club of Pakistan is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with all concerned stakeholders," the organization said. One of the missing climbers is Nepal-born Nirmal Purja, who climbed the world's 14 highest peaks in under seven months (file photo) Image: Subash Shrestha/Pacific Press/IMAGO It added that it remained hopeful the missing climbers would be found safely.
The missing group includes five Nepalese climbers, Pakistani mountaineer Sohail Sakhi, an Omani climber identified as Nathira, US climber Mallory Geis, a Chinese climber identified only as Wang and another international climber. Three Sherpa guides from Seven Summit Treks were among those missing. Who is Nirmal Purja? Purja, widely known as Nims Dai, is a former British Army soldier who served with the Brigade of Gurkhas and later became the first Gurkha accepted into Britain's elite Special Boat Service. He rose to international prominence after climbing all 14 of the world's mountains above 8,000 meters in 189 days in 2019. The achievement was featured in the Netflix documentary "14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible." What is Broad Peak? Broad Peak stands at just over 8,000 meters in Pakistan's Karakoram range, close to the border with China.
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