A devastating avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak has claimed the lives of four mountaineers, while six others remain unaccounted for as rescue efforts continue in the Karakoram mountain range.
Officials in Gilgit-Baltistan confirmed that two of the recovered victims have been formally identified, while the remaining two bodies are yet to be named.
Authorities said adverse weather forced search teams to halt operations temporarily, with efforts expected to resume once conditions improve.
The climbing expedition comprised 10 international mountaineers representing the United States, China, Pakistan, Oman and Nepal.
The team was under the leadership of celebrated Nepali climber Nirmal Purja, widely recognised for completing all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres in a record-breaking six-month period in 2019.
The avalanche reportedly swept through the expedition on Thursday while the group was attempting to scale the 8,047-metre summit, one of the highest and most technically demanding mountains in the world.
Those confirmed dead have been identified as Omani climber Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy and Nepali guide Pur Bahadur Gurung.
Officials have not yet disclosed the identities of the other two recovered victims.
Earlier, the Pakistan Army deployed helicopters carrying rescue specialists and emergency equipment to support the search mission.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan said it has been coordinating closely with government agencies to ensure every available resource is being used in the rescue effort.
The organisation also expressed solidarity with the affected families and the international climbing community.
Purja, a former member of Britain’s Special Boat Service after serving in the British Army, began his mountaineering career in Nepal in 2012 and has since become one of the world’s most accomplished high-altitude climbers.
Among those still missing is American climber Mallory Geis, who had recently shared her excitement online ahead of what she described as her first major expedition in Pakistan.
She was expected to climb alongside Pakistani mountaineer Sohail Saki, who is also missing.
Other experienced climbers feared trapped include veteran Nepali guide Kili Pemba Sherpa and Pur Bahadur Gurung, popularly known as Yukta, an internationally certified mountain guide who was nearing completion of the prestigious challenge of climbing all 14 mountains above 8,000 metres.
Kili Pemba has successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest 15 times and participated in the landmark winter ascent of K2 in 2021.
He also guided Chinese double-amputee climber Xia Boyu to the top of Everest in 2018.
Standing more than 8,000 metres above sea level, Broad Peak is regarded as the world’s 12th-highest mountain and is notorious for its harsh terrain and unpredictable weather.
First conquered by an Austrian expedition in 1957, the peak has since attracted climbers from across the globe but has also witnessed numerous fatal accidents, including one of its deadliest seasons in 2013 when at least six people lost their lives.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong