Broad Peak avalanche: Three of 10 missing climbers found dead in PoK
Rescuers searching for 10 climbers missing after an avalanche on PoK's Broad Peak recovered three bodies on Friday after locating four victims, as harsh weather and poor flying conditions hampered helicopter search-and-rescue operations.The Gilgit-Baltistan regional government identified the three recovered bodies as Nepali climber Pur Bahadur Gurung, Omani climber Nathira Ahmed, and American climber Mallory Geis.
Authorities said the bodies were transported to a hospital for further procedures, as cited by AP.Adverse weather continued to hamper rescue operations on Friday, with poor flying conditions limiting search efforts, Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister Amjad Hussain said in a statement.The announcement came hours after officials said search teams had located the bodies of four climbers, though the identity of the fourth victim has not yet been confirmed.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to brief the media.According to Karrar Haidri, vice president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, the climbers lost contact with their base camp after an avalanche struck Broad Peak while they were attempting to scale the mountain.“The team has been out of communication since Thursday,” said Haidri, adding that Pakistan Army helicopters were assisting in the search-and-rescue operation.The expedition included five Nepali climbers, along with climbers from Oman, the United States, Pakistan, China, and another foreign national.
The Pakistani climber was identified as Sohail Sakhi, while the Chinese climber was identified only by the surname Wang.China said it was working to verify whether any of its nationals were among the 10 climbers reported missing.The expedition was led by renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, a Nepal-born former British Army soldier widely known as Nims Dai.
Purja gained global recognition after climbing the world's 14 highest peaks in a record 189 days in 2019, a feat documented in the Netflix film 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible. His record was later surpassed in 2023.Pakistan-based adventure company Moving Mountains said last month that the team had begun its journey to the town of Askole before attempting to summit Broad Peak, wishing the climbers a safe expedition.According to the company's website, the climb marked Mallory Geis' first attempt at an 8,000-metre peak in Pakistan.
For Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi, a guide with the company, as well as a geographer and high-altitude photographer who had scaled several of the world's highest mountains, it was expected to be his final expedition to an 8,000-metre peak.Geis, 39, who lived in San Antonio, had announced on social media earlier this year that she was closing her Pilates studio to pursue mountaineering full time, writing that she was taking “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.”At 8,047 metres (26,401 feet), Broad Peak is the world's 12th-highest mountain. It is located in PoK's Karakoram range, which is home to five of the world's 14 peaks above 8,000 metres and attracts mountaineers from across the globe.Mountaineering accidents are not uncommon in northern Pakistan, where climbers frequently contend with avalanches, harsh terrain and rapidly changing weather conditions.Catch the latest World News and Live updates.
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