Key Takeaways
- The bodies of celebrated Nepali climber Nirmal Purja and three other mountaineers were recovered from Broad Peak.
- Recovery efforts continued under challenging terrain conditions, with helicopters unable to be used due to weather.
- ACP General Secretary Ayaz Shigri confirmed the ground rescue team was heading towards the advanced base camp.
The bodies of celebrated Nepali climber Nirmal Purja and three other mountaineers have been recovered from Broad Peak in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. The recovery efforts were part of a larger operation that began after an avalanche claimed the lives of all ten members of the expedition team.
On Saturday, Elite Exped announced that all members of the team had died. By Sunday, three bodies had already been recovered, including those believed to be of a climber from the United States and Naila Kiani, according to ACP.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) shared an update on their official Instagram page, stating that Purja’s body was found at approximately 5,700 meters on Broad Peak. Three additional bodies were also sighted but their identities remain unconfirmed.
In a subsequent post, the ACP announced the recovery of three other identified climbers: China’s Wang Zhong and Nepal’s Nima Sherpa and Kili Pemba Sherpa. These bodies are currently being brought down to Camp 1 (C1) by the ground rescue team.
ACP General Secretary Ayaz Shigri told Dawn that the ground rescue team was heading towards the advanced base camp on the mountain, despite the challenging terrain conditions. He highlighted the risks posed by avalanches and steep slopes, which made helicopter operations impossible due to prevailing weather conditions.
The expedition team included 10 members: six Nepalese climbers, one each from Pakistan, Oman, the United States, and China. The bodies of two climbers—Oman’s Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy and Nepal’s Pur Bahadur Gurung—were recovered on Friday, along with remains believed to be those of American climber Sarah Mallory Geis.
On Saturday, the body of Nepal’s Gyalu Sherpa was also recovered. ACP President Irfan Arshad informed Dawn that five other bodies were spotted through aerial reconnaissance on Broad Peak.
Recovery efforts continue under extremely difficult terrain conditions, with the ground team working to bring the bodies down from the mountain. The ACP stated in a statement that an eight-member ground team, comprising climbers from Pakistan and Nepal, reached Camp 1 (C1) before 9am to conduct a search and recovery mission.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan expressed profound sorrow over the loss of these mountaineers and continued to monitor the ongoing recovery operation on Broad Peak.
