The bodies of seven climbers were found in Pakistan following an avalanche on Broad Peak
In Pakistan, rescue workers discovered the bodies of seven climbers, including the Nepalese-British climber Nirmala Purji, on Broad Peak in the Karakoram Range. Three other members of the international expedition are still missing, according to Al Jazeera English.
An avalanche struck around noon on Thursday on Broad Peak, which stands at 8,051 meters—the world’s twelfth-highest mountain. The avalanche swept away a group of ten climbers in a remote and rugged mountainous area.
On Friday, search teams recovered four bodies; however, due to bad weather, helicopters were unable to fly, so only three of the victims were brought down: Nepalese climber Pur Bahadur Gurung, known as Yukta; Omani climber Nadira Al-Harti; and American climber Mallory Hays.
For more breaking news, follow the UA.News Telegram channel.
On Sunday, the ground team reached the body of Nirmala Purji, as well as the bodies of Chinese climber Wang Zhong and Nepalese climbers Nima Sherpa and Kili Pemba Sherpa. Among the three missing is Pakistani guide and photographer Sohail Sahi, for whom this expedition was to be his final assignment in the mountains.
Purja, 43, also known as Nims Dai, was a former Gurkha—a Nepalese soldier who served in the British Army—and later became a special forces soldier. In 2019, he climbed all 14 eight-thousanders in a then-record 189 days. This achievement was the subject of a Netflix documentary. Two years later, Purja was also part of an all-Nepalese team that made the first winter ascent of K2 in Pakistan.
The expedition members represented Nepal, Pakistan, Oman, the United States, and China. The search operation is complicated by the treacherous terrain and Pakistan’s limited capacity for helicopter rescue operations using a long rope.
