Rescue teams in Pakistan are searching for climbers missing after an avalanche on Broad Peak. Four bodies have been found, but six climbers remain unaccounted for. Difficult weather has complicated rescue efforts, particularly helicopter operations.
Officials, speaking anonymously due to restrictions, have not yet identified the bodies discovered. The rescue team is facing challenges due to adverse weather, which continues to impede progress. According to a statement from the Chief Minister of the Gilgit-Baltistan region, Amjad Hussain, communication with the climbers has been lost since the avalanche on Thursday.
Karrar Haidri, vice president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, confirmed the team has been out of contact with their base camp. The search operation includes assistance from army helicopters. The climbers comprise five Nepali climbers, Pakistani mountaineer Sohail Sakhi, Omani climber Nathira, American climber Mallory Geis, a Chinese climber, and another foreign climber.
China is verifying if any of its nationals are missing among the climbers. Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, stated the country is ready to assist Chinese citizens and help the Pakistani side as needed.
The expedition was led by Nirmal Purja, a well-known mountaineer who previously climbed the world’s 14 highest peaks in a record 189 days. This feat was covered in the Netflix documentary ’14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible.’ Moving Mountains, a Pakistan-based travel company, announced the group’s departure to Askole. This was Geis’ first 8,000-meter climb attempt in Pakistan, while it was expected to be Sakhi’s last. Sakhi, serving as the group’s guide, is a seasoned geographer and photographer.
Mallory Geis had recently closed her Pilates studio to pursue this adventurous climb. Broad Peak stands at 8,047 meters, making it the world’s 12th-highest mountain, located in Pakistan’s Karakoram range, a hotspot for climbers worldwide. The area’s notorious weather and avalanches often make climbing hazardous.
Khan reported from Peshawar, Pakistan. AP journalists E. Eduardo Castillo in Beijing and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.