Recovery teams complete another phase of the Broad Peak rescue mission as authorities continue searching for three missing climbers following the deadly avalanche.
SKARDU: Rescue teams have recovered the bodies of renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja and three members of his expedition from Broad Peak, marking a significant development in the recovery effort following last week’s deadly avalanche in Pakistan’s Karakoram mountain range.
According to the Alpine Club of Pakistan, the recovery mission was carried out under extremely hazardous weather and terrain conditions. Alongside Purja, the bodies of Chinese climber Zhong Wang and Nepali climbers Nima Sherpa and Kilu Sherpa were successfully brought to Broad Peak Base Camp.
The tragedy unfolded on July 30 when an avalanche struck a 10-member international climbing team attempting to summit Broad Peak, the world’s 12th-highest mountain. Communication with the expedition was lost immediately after the avalanche, and Purja’s expedition company later confirmed that none of the team members had survived.
Recovery operations remain incomplete, with three climbers still missing. The Alpine Club of Pakistan said search efforts will resume whenever weather and mountain conditions allow, reaffirming its commitment to recovering the remaining climbers so their families can find closure.
Earlier in the operation, the bodies of three other expedition members—an American woman, an Omani woman and a Nepali climber—were airlifted from the mountain to Skardu. Authorities said the bodies of two Nepali climbers and one Pakistani mountaineer have yet to be recovered.
The disaster has sent shockwaves through the international mountaineering community. Tributes have poured in from climbers and expedition organizations worldwide, with many describing the deaths as one of the most significant losses in recent high-altitude climbing history.
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