Four Bodies Recovered After Broad Peak Avalanche; Six Climbers Still Missing

Rescue teams searching Pakistan's Broad Peak have recovered four bodies after an avalanche struck the 8,051-metre (26,414 ft) mountain on Thursday. Authorities have so far identified three of the victims and continue intensive search efforts for six climbers who remain missing.

Search and Recovery

Officials said three of the bodies recovered on Friday were identified as Nepalese climber Pur Bahadur Gurung, American mountaineer Sarah Mallory Geis, and Omani climber Nadhira Al Harthy, who was the first Omani woman to summit Mount Everest. The fourth recovered body has not yet been publicly identified. Harsh weather and the remote, difficult terrain in Gilgit-Baltistan have limited helicopter flights and hampered rescue operations, local official Sajid Hussain said.

Expedition and Leadership

The expedition team — organized with climbers from several countries — included five Nepali climbers, the Omani and American climbers, Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi, a Chinese climber named Wang, and one other foreign climber, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan. The group was led by renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja (known as Nims Dai), the Nepal-born former British Army soldier who rose to international prominence after summiting the world’s 14 highest peaks in 189 days in 2019, a feat later documented in the Netflix film "14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible."

Profiles Of Identified Climbers

• Pur Bahadur Gurung (Yukta) — A prolific high-altitude climber from Nepal, reported to have summited Everest 10 times and 12 of the world's 8,000-metre peaks. He was known for rapid ascents, including reportedly summiting K2 within 24 hours, and for participating in rescue missions for stranded trekkers.
• Nadhira Al Harthy — An Omani mountaineer who held a master’s degree in geography and served as director of the Citizenship Department at Oman’s Ministry of Education. In 2019 she became the first Omani woman to climb Mount Everest and later became the first Omani to summit K2.
• Sarah Mallory Geis — A 39-year-old climber from San Antonio, Texas, Geis was reportedly making her first attempt at an 8,000-metre peak in Pakistan after closing her Pilates studio earlier this year to pursue high-altitude mountaineering.

Current Status

Rescue teams continue searching the remote slopes of Broad Peak for the remaining missing climbers. Authorities caution that operations will remain challenging until weather conditions improve and helicopter access is restored.

Context: Broad Peak is the world’s 12th-highest mountain and is regarded as one of Pakistan’s more demanding climbs. Of the 14 mountains higher than 8,000 metres, eight are in Nepal, five in Pakistan and one in Tibet.

Officials and expedition members have been asked to provide further identifications and updates as recovery and search efforts continue.