The search for the missing seven out of ten mountaineers who were caught in an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir has resumed after being briefly suspended on Friday because of adverse weather conditions.
According to an update from the Pakistan Alpine Club, seven climbers were spotted via aerial drone footage captured by a rescue team. The footage is yet to be officially verified.
On Friday, Pakistani rescuers recovered three bodies from Broad Peak.
The Gilgit-Baltistan government identified the recovered climbers as Nepalese mountaineer Pur Bahadur Gurung, Omani climber Nadhira Al Harthy and American climber Sarah Mallory Geis. Their bodies were taken to a hospital.
Nadhira Al Harthy was the first Omani woman to ever scale the Mount Everest. Her body has been flown to the capital, Islamabad.
Officials earlier had said that the search team located the remains of four climbers, but the fourth person has not been identified.
Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Amjad Hussain said that rescue efforts would continue.
The search is being led by Renowned Nepali mountaineer Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, one of the most experienced and respected expedition leaders on K2, the "Savage Mountain," alongside the Pakistan Alpine Club.
The 10 mountaineers were being led by famed Nepalese climber Nirmal Purja. The expedition included climbers from Nepal, Pakistan, Oman, the US and China.
The climbers went missing after they were swept away at an altitude of 7000 meters during ascent of a 8,051 metre mountain.
Sarah Malory, who was part of the 10-member team known for the extremely rugged terrain and challenging weather. It was her first attempt at climbing an 8000 metre peak.
Pur Bahadur Gurung was an experienced climber who guided and summited 28 peaks above 8,000 metres.
Broad Peak, which stands at a height of 8,047 metres, remains difficult to ascend compared to higher peaks due to its difficult terrain, strong winds and challenging terrain.
The peak is the 12th highest in the world and lies in Pakistan's Karakoram range. The range features five of the world's 14 eight-thousanders, or the 14 mountains in the Himalayas and Karakoram ranges which exceeded an altitude of 8000 meters.
Nirmal Purja, a Nepal-born former soldier in the British army, climbed the world’s 14 highest peaks in a record 189 days in 2019, Reuters reported. His achievement was featured in the Netflix documentary 14, Peak: Nothing is Impossible.
