Seven bodies recovered after Broad Peak avalanche kills climbers

Rescue teams in Pakistan have recovered the bodies of seven climbers, including celebrated Nepali-British mountaineer Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja, after an avalanche killed a 10-member international expedition on Broad Peak, one of the world’s highest mountains.

The avalanche struck the 8,051-meter, or 26,414-foot, peak in Pakistan’s Karakoram range around midday Thursday, trapping the group in remote and dangerous terrain. The mountain, the world’s 12th-highest, drew climbers from Nepal, Pakistan, Oman, the United States and China, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan.

“It is with profound sadness and immense heartbreak that we confirm that Nirmal ‘Nimsdai’ Purja tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak,” Purja’s company, Elite Expeditions, said in a statement. “We have also received confirmation that other members of the expedition sadly did not survive.”

Al Jazeera reported that search crews had recovered seven bodies by Sunday, while the remains of three climbers were still being sought. The missing included Sohail Sakhi, a Pakistani guide and photographer who had planned to retire from expedition work after this climb, as well as two others.

Search crews located four bodies Friday but were able to bring down only three because bad weather grounded helicopters, Al Jazeera reported. Those recovered included Nepali climber Pur Bahadur Gurung, known as Yukta; Omani mountaineer Nadhira Al Harthy; and American climber Mallory Geis. On Sunday, a ground team reached Purja and three others: Chinese climber Wang Zhong and Nepali climbers Nima Sherpa and Kili Pemba Sherpa.

Local police said military helicopters, high-altitude porters and rescue teams searched the area despite difficult weather and terrain. The Associated Press, citing local police, reported that the remains of some climbers had been flown to hospitals in Pakistan.

Purja, 43, became one of mountaineering’s most recognizable figures after climbing all 14 of the world’s peaks above 8,000 meters in 2019 in six months and six days, or 189 days. The achievement was featured in a 2021 Netflix documentary. Al Jazeera reported that the record was later surpassed in 2023.

Before his fame in the mountains, Purja served for a decade in the United Kingdom’s Special Boat Service, an elite British military special forces unit. Al Jazeera described him as a former Gurkha who became a special forces soldier and later joined the first winter ascent of K2 by an all-Nepali team.

The American climber was 39-year-old Mallory Geis of San Antonio, Texas, according to the Associated Press. Earlier this year, she wrote on social media about closing her Pilates studio to pursue high-altitude climbing.

“So here we go. Taking a giant leap of faith into the unknown to see where life goes. I have a sneaking suspicion there will be lots of helmets, harnesses, and crampons involved,” Geis wrote.

In another post, she described her plans for Pakistan. “I’m heading out for my first big kid climbing expedition in Pakistan,” she wrote. “Let’s see if we can get this body and these boots up Broad Peak, the 12th highest mountain in the world.”

“She was a very positive person,” her father, George Geis, told KENS 5 in San Antonio. “She could do most anything she wanted to do.”

Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra “Balen” Shah confirmed the deaths of the Nepalese climbers in a social media post Saturday. Al Jazeera reported that he said the climbers’ courage, dedication and contributions would remain an inspiration, even though their physical journey had ended.

Students and teachers gathered Sunday around Purja’s photograph at Small Heaven School in Nepal’s Chitwan district, lighting candles and laying flowers at the school where he boarded for eight years before joining the Gurkhas, Al Jazeera reported.

“Today, we mourn not only Nims, but every life lost in this tragedy,” Elite Expeditions said. “Our deepest thoughts, prayers and heartfelt condolences are with their families, friends and loved ones.”