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Broad Peak Avalanche
A suspected avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak in the Karakoram mountain range left 10 climbers missing, and Pakistani search crews later recovered the remains of American climber Sarah Mallory Geis along with two other climbers, officials said.
“Officials said Friday that they found the remains of American mountain climber Sarah Mallory Geis”
ABC News said the remains of Geis were found after she was caught in the reported avalanche, and it identified two other recovered climbers as Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy of Oman and Pur Bahadur Gurung of Nepal.
Al Jazeera reported that three of four bodies located by Pakistani search crews had been recovered and secured in local facilities, naming Pur Bahadur Gurung, Omani Nadhira Al Harthy, and Mallory Geis from the United States.
Al Jazeera also said that among those still missing was Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, also known as Nims Dai, and it described the expedition as comprising 10 people overall.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan said in a statement that it had received “deeply concerning reports of an avalanche” that struck a team of climbers on Broad Peak (8,047m) and that “Every possible effort is being made” to mobilize helicopter support and rescue resources.
Conflicting Body Counts
As the search unfolded, the number of bodies found shifted between outlets, with the BBC saying the Alpine Club of Pakistan now reported two bodies and a body part had been found after earlier figures of four.
The BBC quoted the club’s correction as a “miscommunication” and said communications lead Naila Kiani confirmed to the BBC that the search would continue tomorrow.
In contrast, ABC News said a Pakistani rescue team recovered the remains of two other climbers in addition to Geis, and it reported that the search was suspended until Saturday.
Al Jazeera said the Gilgit-Baltistan regional government reported that the bodies of Pur Bahadur Gurung, Nadhira Al Harthy, and Mallory Geis were now secured in local facilities, while Reuters was cited in the broader reporting about the search focus.
China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told Reuters that they were “urgently working to verify and understand the situation” and said Beijing was willing to provide assistance to Pakistan.
Who’s Missing, What’s Next
With the avalanche described as striking the team on Broad Peak around midday Thursday, the remaining stakes centered on the six climbers still unaccounted for, including Nirmal Purja, and the search-and-rescue effort continuing despite weather.
“remote and difficult area”
Al Jazeera said the search for the remaining six was focusing on a “remote and difficult area,” and it described Broad Peak as the 12th-highest mountain in the world.
Outside Magazine reported that two Pakistan Army helicopters were dispatched to the scene and that the Alpine Club of Pakistan stated on Instagram that the bodies of two climbers had been recovered at the foot of the mountain, including Omani climber Nadhira Al Harthy and Nepali guide Pur Bahadur Gurung, known as “Yukta.”
Outside also said seven additional climbers had been spotted by drone but that their condition and identities “cannot yet be verified,” while it described rescue efforts led by Nepali climber Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, known widely as “Mingma G.”
The BBC added that Nepal’s foreign ministry said it was “closely monitoring” the situation and that its Embassy in Islamabad was coordinating with Pakistani authorities including the Alpine Club of Pakistan to facilitate “the swift and safe rescue of all affected mountaineers.”
