Broad Peak avalanche: Pakistan resumes search for missing climbers, Nirmal Purja
Pakistan resumed the Broad Peak search on Saturday for six missing climbers, including Nirmal Purja. The operation has become increasingly urgent after an avalanche killed four team members and bad weather slowed rescues.
Pakistani authorities resumed search operations on Saturday for six of the 10 climbers, including renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, who went missing on Broad Peak after an avalanche struck the group on Thursday, officials said.
Four bodies were recovered on Friday, according to Alpine Club of Pakistan president Major General Irfan Arshad. Three of them have been identified as Oman's Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, Nepal's Pur Bahadur Gurung and American Mallory Geis. The bodies were airlifted to Skardu.
Broad Peak, which stands at 8,051 metres in Pakistan's Karakoram range near K2, is the world's 12th-highest mountain and is considered one of the most difficult peaks to climb. The Alpine Club of Pakistan said the missing group was a 10-member team comprising six Nepalese, one Pakistani, one Omani, one American and one Chinese climber. The avalanche hit the team at an altitude of about 7,000 metres at around 9 am on Thursday.
The rescue operation was suspended late on Friday because of adverse weather in the region. According to the local administration, a three-member civil rescue team led by mountaineer Sarbaz Khan is taking part in the search and rescue operation, with Pakistan Army helicopters also deployed.
"The team started their ground mission again on Saturday morning to locate the missing climbers. Additionally, Nepali climbers present at the base camp with other expedition teams were also taking part in the operation," the administration said, adding that drone footage had identified the presence of more climbers at an altitude of 6,000 metres.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan said several expedition teams had jointly begun their summit push. "GPS locations received from some of the missing climbers indicated that the avalanche had swept the group about 1,000 metres downhill, leaving them trapped," it said. The club also said it was concerned that some local high-altitude porters might have been caught in the avalanche.
Purja, known as 'Nims Dai', is among those missing. The 43-year-old, a former member of Britain's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Royal Marines' elite Special Boat Service, is regarded as one of the world's leading high-altitude mountaineers and has set several records since becoming a full-time climber and expedition guide. The search for the remaining climbers continued on Saturday after weather had forced a pause in the operation a day earlier.
With PTI Inputs
Pakistani authorities resumed search operations on Saturday for six of the 10 climbers, including renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, who went missing on Broad Peak after an avalanche struck the group on Thursday, officials said.
Four bodies were recovered on Friday, according to Alpine Club of Pakistan president Major General Irfan Arshad. Three of them have been identified as Oman's Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, Nepal's Pur Bahadur Gurung and American Mallory Geis. The bodies were airlifted to Skardu.
Broad Peak, which stands at 8,051 metres in Pakistan's Karakoram range near K2, is the world's 12th-highest mountain and is considered one of the most difficult peaks to climb. The Alpine Club of Pakistan said the missing group was a 10-member team comprising six Nepalese, one Pakistani, one Omani, one American and one Chinese climber. The avalanche hit the team at an altitude of about 7,000 metres at around 9 am on Thursday.
The rescue operation was suspended late on Friday because of adverse weather in the region. According to the local administration, a three-member civil rescue team led by mountaineer Sarbaz Khan is taking part in the search and rescue operation, with Pakistan Army helicopters also deployed.
"The team started their ground mission again on Saturday morning to locate the missing climbers. Additionally, Nepali climbers present at the base camp with other expedition teams were also taking part in the operation," the administration said, adding that drone footage had identified the presence of more climbers at an altitude of 6,000 metres.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan said several expedition teams had jointly begun their summit push. "GPS locations received from some of the missing climbers indicated that the avalanche had swept the group about 1,000 metres downhill, leaving them trapped," it said. The club also said it was concerned that some local high-altitude porters might have been caught in the avalanche.
Purja, known as 'Nims Dai', is among those missing. The 43-year-old, a former member of Britain's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Royal Marines' elite Special Boat Service, is regarded as one of the world's leading high-altitude mountaineers and has set several records since becoming a full-time climber and expedition guide. The search for the remaining climbers continued on Saturday after weather had forced a pause in the operation a day earlier.
With PTI Inputs
Pakistani authorities resumed search operations on Saturday for six of the 10 climbers, including renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, who went missing on Broad Peak after an avalanche struck the group on Thursday, officials said.
Four bodies were recovered on Friday, according to Alpine Club of Pakistan president Major General Irfan Arshad. Three of them have been identified as Oman's Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, Nepal's Pur Bahadur Gurung and American Mallory Geis. The bodies were airlifted to Skardu.
Broad Peak, which stands at 8,051 metres in Pakistan's Karakoram range near K2, is the world's 12th-highest mountain and is considered one of the most difficult peaks to climb. The Alpine Club of Pakistan said the missing group was a 10-member team comprising six Nepalese, one Pakistani, one Omani, one American and one Chinese climber. The avalanche hit the team at an altitude of about 7,000 metres at around 9 am on Thursday.
The rescue operation was suspended late on Friday because of adverse weather in the region. According to the local administration, a three-member civil rescue team led by mountaineer Sarbaz Khan is taking part in the search and rescue operation, with Pakistan Army helicopters also deployed.
"The team started their ground mission again on Saturday morning to locate the missing climbers. Additionally, Nepali climbers present at the base camp with other expedition teams were also taking part in the operation," the administration said, adding that drone footage had identified the presence of more climbers at an altitude of 6,000 metres.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan said several expedition teams had jointly begun their summit push. "GPS locations received from some of the missing climbers indicated that the avalanche had swept the group about 1,000 metres downhill, leaving them trapped," it said. The club also said it was concerned that some local high-altitude porters might have been caught in the avalanche.
Purja, known as 'Nims Dai', is among those missing. The 43-year-old, a former member of Britain's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Royal Marines' elite Special Boat Service, is regarded as one of the world's leading high-altitude mountaineers and has set several records since becoming a full-time climber and expedition guide. The search for the remaining climbers continued on Saturday after weather had forced a pause in the operation a day earlier.
With PTI Inputs
