Rescue teams in northern Pakistan have recovered the bodies of four climbers after an avalanche struck an expedition on Broad Peak, one of the world’s highest mountains.
[Image used for illutrative purposes/Broad Peak and Gasherbrum IV/Black Zero/Wikimedia Commons
Search efforts are continuing for the remaining six climbers, including renowned Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, who remain missing.
According to Al Jazeera, Pakistani search crews located the four bodies on Friday despite challenging weather conditions. Authorities have not yet confirmed the identities of those recovered.
The avalanche struck an expedition on Broad Peak (8,047m) in the Karakoram mountain range. The 10-member team reportedly lost communication shortly after the incident.
Among those missing is Purja, widely known as Nims Dai, who gained international recognition after climbing all 14 of the world’s peaks above 8,000 metres in just six months and six days in 2019—a feat that set a world record at the time.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) said the expedition included five Nepali climbers, Pakistani mountaineer Sohail Sakhi, an Omani climber, an American climber, a Chinese climber and another foreign climber whose nationality has not been disclosed.
Search operations remain focused on a remote section of the mountain. Sajid Hussain, deputy director of the tourism department in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region, told Reuters that rescue teams are working in an extremely difficult area where harsh weather continues to hamper efforts.
Broad Peak is the world’s 12th-highest mountain and forms part of the Karakoram range near K2. The peak is considered one of the world’s most demanding high-altitude climbs, with unpredictable weather and avalanche-prone terrain presenting significant risks even to experienced mountaineers.
The ACP said helicopter support and other rescue resources were being mobilised where weather conditions allowed.
Source: Al Jazeera, with reporting from Reuters and AP.
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