All 10 Climbers Lost in Pakistani Avalanche Confirmed Dead

A devastating avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak has claimed the lives of all 10 members of a climbing expedition, including British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, according to his expedition company Elite Exped. The catastrophic incident occurred Thursday as the team attempted to summit the peak, with search and rescue efforts continuing Saturday to locate and recover remaining bodies.

Elite Exped released a statement mourning Purja’s death, calling him one of mountaineering’s greatest climbers. Karrar Haidri, vice president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, confirmed the fatalities and expressed condolences to the families and friends affected by the tragedy.

Search teams recovered three bodies Friday amid severe weather conditions that grounded rescue helicopters. Four bodies were initially discovered, with remains of Omani climber Nathira Ahmed being transported to Islamabad, while American climber Mallory Geis and Nepalese climber Bahadur Gurung remained at a hospital in Skardu in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region.

The expedition consisted of five Nepalese climbers, climbers from Oman and the United States, Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi, a Chinese climber identified as Wang, and one additional foreign climber whose identity remains undisclosed. Purja, a Nepal-born former British Army soldier known as Nims Dai, led the expedition and gained international fame in 2019 after summiting the world’s 14 highest peaks in 189 days, a feat documented in the Netflix film “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.”

For Geis, the expedition marked a first attempt at an 8,000-meter peak in Pakistan, while Sakhi, who served as a guide for Moving Mountains travel company, was expected to retire from high-altitude climbing following this expedition. Sakhi is also a geographer and high-altitude photographer who has summited numerous major peaks worldwide.

Mountaineering expeditions in northern Pakistan face significant hazards from avalanches, falling ice and rock formations, altitude-related dangers, and unpredictable weather patterns. Moving Mountains announced the team’s departure for Askole late last month, wishing them safety on their Broad Peak expedition.