Broad Peak | Pakistan

• Mission to resume once weather improves • Bodies of Nirmal Purja, four other foreign climbers flown to Islamabad for repatriation to their respective countries GILGIT: The search operation to recover the remains of Pakistani mountaineer Sohail Sakhi and two foreign climbers missing after the deadly Broad Peak avalanche has been suspended due to the continuing risk of fresh avalanches, rescue officials said on Friday. Search teams spent eight days trying to locate the rem­ains of Sohail Sakhi, American climber Sarah Mallory Geis, and Nepalese climber Nawang Thindu Sherpa before deteriorating conditions forced authorities to halt the mission. Ayaz Shigri, General Secre­t­a­­ry of the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP), said a leg believed to belong to Geis had earlier been recovered. He added that Nawang Thindu Sherpa’s body has been located but cannot be retrieved because it lies in a highly dangerous, avalanche-prone area. He said rescue efforts would resume once weather conditions improve and the area is safe. ...

Bodies of five more international climbers, including world-renowned British-Nepali Nirmal Purja, have been airlifted to Skardu after they were killed in an avalanche on Broad Peak, the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) said on Thursday. The avalanche struck on July 30, cutting off contact with the 10-member international expedition led by 43-year-old Purja on Broad Peak, one of the world’s highest mountains. His company confirmed there were no survivors. “Following one of the most technically demanding recovery operations on Broad Peak, the Alpine Club of Pakistan confirms that the bodies of Nirmal Purja, Wang Zhong, Nima Sherpa, Gyalu Sherpa, and Killi Pemba “Kilu” Sherpa have been transported to Skardu CMH Hospital by helicopter,” ACP said in its statement on Thursday. “Following necessary procedures and documentation, they will be transferred to Islamabad,” it said, adding that they have been prepared for repatriation to their respective home countries under special arrangements. ACP Secretary General Ayaz Sh...

Recovery team brings four climbers' remains to Broad Peak base camp

A search team has transported the bodies of renowned climber Nirmal Purja and three of his team members to the base camp of the mountain where they were killed in an avalanche, the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) said on Wednesday. The avalanche struck on July 30, cutting off contact with the 10-member international expedition led by 43-year-old British-Nepali climber Purja on Broad Peak, one of the world’s highest mountains. His company confirmed there were no survivors. “On behalf of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, it is announced with great sadness to confirm that, following an exceptionally challenging and technically demanding recovery operation on Broad Peak, the bodies of Nirmal Purja, Zhong Wang, Nima Sherpa, and Kilu Sherpa have been successfully recovered and have now arrived safely at Base Camp,” the ACP posted on social media, referring to a Chinese mountaineer and two other Nepali climbers. “While today marks an important milestone, three climbers remain missing,” the club said. “We remain committed t...

On July 30, an avalanche cut off contact with the 10-member international expedition led by Purja on Broad Peak

• Around 500 mourners, monks gather in Kathmandu • Funeral of missing Pakistani climber held in Hunza • Efforts continue to recover bodies amid bad weather KATHMANDU/GILGIT: Hund­­reds of Nepalis held a candlelight vigil on Tuesday honouring 10 climbers killed in an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak, as rescuers battled treacherous conditions to recover the remaining bodies. Buddhist monks in maroon robes chanted prayers and around 500 mourners lit candles and incense in a square in the Nepali capital. World-renowned British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja, 43, was among the victims along with six elite Nepali guides, killed in the avalanche in Gilgit-Baltistan on Thursday. “Nepal has lost a generation of accomplished mountaineers,” said Tul Singh Gurung, president of Nepal National Mountain Guide Association. The gathering observed a minute’s silence in their memory, in front of a banner with photographs of the 10 climbers. At the centre, candles were arranged in the shape of Nepal’s national flag, flickering i...

GILGIT: The bodies of celebrated Nepali climber Nirmal Purja and three other mountaineers accompanying him on a summit of the Broad Peak mountain in Gilgit-Baltistan were recovered on Sunday — three days after all 10 members of the team were reported missing after an avalanche. On Saturday, his expedition organising company Elite Exped announced that all members of the team, which also included Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi, had died. The bodies of three climbers were recovered by then, as well as the remains believed to be of a climber from the United States, Naila Kiani of the ACP told Dawn on Sunday. Meanwhile, the ACP announced in a statement that Purja’s body had been found. “The Alpine Club of Pakistan shares this update with profound sorrow. The ground rescue team has reached Nirmal Purja ‘Nims Dai’ at approximately 5,700m on Broad Peak, where three additional bodies have also been sighted, though their identities remain unconfirmed. The ground team will bring the bodies down to the Japanese camp. “Re...

Renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja died along with other team members in a powerful avalanche on Broad Peak, his climbing company confirmed on Saturday. The avalanche struck on Thursday, cutting off contact with the international expedition led by 43-year-old British-Nepali climber Purja. “It is with profound sadness and immense heartbreak that we confirm that Nirmal Purja tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak,” Purja’s company Elite Expeditions said on social media. “We have also received confirmation that other members of the expedition sadly did not survive,” it added. The remains recovered so far — flown by helicopter to hospital for formal identification — included an American woman, an Omani woman and a Nepali man, the Gilgit-Baltistan government said in a statement released on Friday night. Purja, who served with Britain’s Brigade of Gurkhas before joining the Special Boat Squadron of the Royal Marines, broke multiple climbing records since becoming a full-time mountaineer and t...

GILGIT: A search and rescue operation to locate seven climbers part of a 10-member team that went missing after an avalanche at Broad Peak earlier this week resumed on Saturday morning. The operation was suspended late Friday due to adverse weather conditions in the region. The bodies of three climbers — Oman’s Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, Nepal’s Pur Bahadur Gurung and American Mallory Geis — were found on Friday and airlifted to Skardu. The missing climbers include five from Nepal, including renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, Kili Pemba Sherpa, Nima Sherpa, Nawang Thindu Sherpa and Gyalu Sherpa. Pakistan’s climber Sohail Sakhi and China’s Wang Zhong are also among those missing. According to the local administration, a three-member civil rescue team, led by renowned mountaineer Sarbaz Khan, was taking part in the search and rescue operation. The team started their ground mission again on Saturday morning to locate the seven missing climbers. Additionally, Nepali climbers present at the basecamp with ot...

GILGIT: The search and rescue operation for foreign climbers missing after an avalanche at Broad Peak was suspended late Friday due to adverse weather conditions in the region. Three bodies of missing climbers — one each from the United States, Nepal and Oman — were airlifted from Broad Peak to Skardu by Pakistan Army helicopters. Drone footage also indicated the presence of more climbers during the search operation. Earlier reports had said that four bodies were recovered; however, the toll was later revised down to three. Seven climbers remain missing. According to a press release issued by the Commissioner Baltistan Division, the search and rescue operation was launched following a formal request from tour operators. A three-member civil rescue team, led by renowned mountaineer Sarbaz Khan, was airlifted to Broad Peak Base Camp by Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters. The team recovered the bodies of three climbers, identified as Oman’s Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, Nepal’s Pur Bahadur Gurung and Mallory...

Four bodies found after Broad Peak avalanche

GILGIT: Four bodies were found on Friday as a search operation was underway to locate climbers who went missing on Broad Peak a day earlier after an avalanche struck around midday. The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) said that the 10-member team included six Nepalese climbers, a Pakistani, an Omani, an American and a climber from China. The climbers from Nepal were identified as renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, Pur Bahadur Gurung, Kili Pemba Sherpa, Nima Sherpa, Nawang Thindu Sherpa and Gyalu Sherpa. It identified the remaining climbers as Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy from Oman, Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi, Wang Zhong from China and Mallory Geis from the United States. ACP President Major General Irfan Arshad told Dawn on Friday that four bodies had been found. He identified two of the dead as Oman’s Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy and Nepal’s Pur Bahadur Gurung. Rescue operation In a statement issued earlier in the day, ACP Senior Vice President Karrar Haidri said two Pakistan Army Aviation rescue he...

A search operation was underway on Friday to locate 10 climbers, including renowned Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja and Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi, who went missing on Broad Peak a day earlier after an avalanche struck around midday. The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) said that the missing climbers included six Nepalese climbers, a Pakistani, an Omani, an American and a climber from China. The climbers from Nepal were identified as Purja, Pur Bahadur Gurung, Kili Pemba Sherpa, Nima Sherpa, Nawang Thindu Sherpa and Gyalu Sherpa. It identified the remaining climbers as Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy from Oman, Sakhi from Pakistan, Wang Zhong from China and Mallory Geis from the United States. In a statement issued on Friday, ACP Senior Vice President Karrar Haidri said two Pakistan Army Aviation rescue helicopters, carrying rescue personnel and additional specialised equipment, had been dispatched to support the ongoing search and rescue operation. The statement said ACP’s Major General Irfan Arshad, HI(M)...