Broad Peak avalanche: Four bodies recovered, no news of Nirmal Purja yet
A group of 10 international climbers led by a Nepali mountaineer, Nirmal Purja, is feared missing after an avalanche struck the team late Thursday at the Broad Peak, one of the highest mountains in northern Pakistan.
Four bodies have been recovered following a significant avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak, which struck a 10-member international climbing team led by Nirmal Purja. The avalanche occurred at approximately 7,000 meters, sweeping the climbers downhill and prompting an ongoing search and rescue operation involving Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters.
Four bodies have been recovered following a significant avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak, which struck a 10-member international climbing team led by Nirmal Purja. The avalanche occurred at approximately 7,000 meters, sweeping the climbers downhill and prompting an ongoing search and rescue operation involving Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters.
Four bodies have been recovered following a significant avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak, which struck a 10-member international climbing team led by Nirmal Purja. The avalanche occurred at approximately 7,000 meters, sweeping the climbers downhill and prompting an ongoing search and rescue operation involving Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters.
Four bodies have been recovered by ground rescue teams following an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak on Thursday. A group of 10 international climbers led by a Nepali mountaineer, Nirmal Purja, went missing after an avalanche struck the team late Thursday on Broad Peak, one of the highest mountains in northern Pakistan.
Purja, 43, is one of Nepal's most celebrated mountaineers. A former member of Britain's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Royal Marines' elite Special Boat Service, he has set several mountaineering records since becoming a full-time climber and expedition guide. In 2019, he created history by climbing all 14 mountains above 8,000 metres in just over six months under his "Project Possible" expedition.
The news of four bodies being recovered was reportedly confirmed by Irfan Arshad Khan, president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan. Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy and Pur Bahadur Gurung were among the two dead while the other two victims' details are yet to be identified.
Apart from Nirmal Purja, the list included Sohail Sakhi from Pakistan, Wang Zhong of China, Mallory Geis from the USA, Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy from Oman, and Nepali climbers Pur Bahadur Gurung, Kili Pemba Sherpa, Nima Sherpa, Gyalu Sherpa, and Nawang Thindu Sherpa.
Broad Peak, standing at 8,051 metres, is located in Pakistan's Karakoram range near K2. It is the world's 12th-highest mountain and is considered one of the most challenging peaks to climb.
The avalanche hit the mountain at an altitude of around 7,000 metres on Thursday, sweeping away a 10-member climbing team that had begun its summit push, the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) said in a statement.
Two Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters were engaged in the ongoing search and rescue operation, the ACP said.
The ACP said GPS coordinates received from some of the missing climbers indicated that the avalanche had swept the group nearly 1,000 metres downhill, leaving them trapped.