A deadly avalanche on Broad Peak has claimed the lives of eight climbers, with rescue teams recovering their bodies even as two mountaineers remain missing. The disaster struck the world’s twelfth-highest mountain, triggering a large-scale search effort hampered by harsh weather conditions.
Rescue crews have managed to identify four of the deceased so far, and three of those bodies have already been flown to Skardu aboard Pakistan Army helicopters. Poor visibility and shifting weather patterns continue to slow down operations on the 8,051-metre peak.
How the Broad Peak Avalanche Unfolded
The avalanche struck around midday on Thursday, catching a ten-member climbing team mid-ascent. In response, rescue officials and expedition organizers mobilized a wide-ranging search effort, deploying helicopters, ground crews and high-altitude rescue specialists to locate those trapped on the mountain.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) verified that four bodies had been pulled from the site during the operation. ACP President Major General Irfan Arshad named two of the victims as Omani climber Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy and Nepalese mountaineer Pur Bahadur Gurung. The identities of the other two who died have not yet been made public.
Who Was on the Expedition
According to the ACP, the climbing party included six members from Nepal, along with one climber each from Pakistan, Oman, China and the United States. The Nepalese contingent featured well-known mountaineer Nirmal Purja, alongside Pur Bahadur Gurung, Kili Pemba Sherpa, Nima Sherpa, Nawang Thindu Sherpa and Gyalu Sherpa.
Rounding out the team were Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi, Wang Zhong from China, American mountaineer Mallory Geis, and Oman’s Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy.
Rescue Effort Faces Weather Delays
Earlier on the day of the tragedy, the Alpine Club reported that two Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters loaded with rescue personnel and specialized gear had been sent to the site to assist. The club noted that the operation was being run jointly with government agencies, the Pakistan Army and local authorities, though progress remained tied to weather and flying conditions.
ACP General Secretary Ayaz Shigri explained that early GPS readings from some of the missing climbers indicated the avalanche had dragged the group nearly 1,000 metres down the slope, leaving survivors stranded in a treacherous part of the mountain. He noted that multiple expedition teams had been attempting a coordinated summit push at the moment the avalanche hit.
Officials also raised concerns that local high-altitude porters assisting the expedition teams could have been caught in the slide, though this has not been confirmed. Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Amjad Hussain Advocate instructed all relevant departments to stay on high alert and speed up rescue work alongside the Pakistan Army.
Global Attention on Nirmal Purja’s Status
The tragedy has drawn worldwide interest largely due to the involvement of Nirmal Purja, the celebrated Nepalese climber who remains among the missing. A former member of Britain’s Brigade of Gurkhas and the Royal Marines’ Special Boat Service, Purja is considered one of the most accomplished mountaineers alive.
He rose to global fame in 2019 after scaling all fourteen peaks above 8,000 metres in a record-breaking six months and six days. In 2021, he was also part of the all-Nepalese team that achieved the first successful winter ascent of K2.
Also missing is Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi, one of the country’s leading high-altitude mountaineers. A native of Hunza, Sakhi recently summited Kanchenjunga, the world’s third-highest peak, and has previously climbed K2, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II without supplemental oxygen.
As the search continues, the Broad Peak avalanche stands as one of the deadliest incidents on the mountain in recent years, with rescue teams racing against worsening weather to determine the fate of the two climbers still unaccounted for.