Pakistani rescuers recover 3 bodies of 10 climbers missing on Broad Peak after avalanche

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Rescuers searching for 10 climbers missing after an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak found four bodies and recovered three of them Friday in harsh weather that hampered flights by search and rescue helicopters, officials said.

The regional Gilgt-Baltistan government identified the three recovered bodies as Nepalese climber Pur Bahadur Gurung, Omani climber Nathira Ahmed and American climber Mallory Geis. It said the bodies had been transported to a hospital.

The announcement came hours after officials said search teams had located the remains of four climbers. They did not immediately identify the fourth body that was spotted. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Bad weather continued to hinder the rescue effort Friday, Gilgit-Baltistan region Chief Minister Amjad Hussain said in a statement.

The climbers lost contact with their base camp after an avalanche struck Broad Peak while they were attempting to scale the mountain, said Karrar Haidri, vice president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan.

“The team has been out of communication since Thursday,” said Haidri, adding that army helicopters were part of the search-and-rescue operation.

The search for the missing climbers continued until Friday evening and would resume Saturday, authorities said.

Broad Peak, at 8,047 meters (26,401 feet), is the world’s 12th-highest mountain. It lies in Pakistan’s Karakoram range, home to five of the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000 meters, attracting climbers from around the globe.

Accidents are common during climbing expeditions in northern Pakistan because of avalanches and rapidly changing weather.

Team included climbers from around the world

The expedition comprised five Nepali climbers in addition to the Omani and American climbers, Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi, a Chinese climber identified only as Wang and one other foreign climber, according to the Alpine Club.

China said it was trying to verify whether any of its nationals were among the 10 climbers missing.

“We will provide assistance to Chinese citizens in need and are also willing to offer help in accordance with the needs of the Pakistani side,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Friday in Beijing.

The expedition leader was the renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, a Nepal-born former soldier in the British army widely known as Nims Dai. He climbed the world’s 14 highest peaks in a record 189 days in 2019, an achievement featured in the Netflix documentary, “14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible.” His record was surpassed in 2023.

Moving Mountains, a travel company based in Pakistan, announced late last month that the expedition team was on its way to the small town of Askole and wished them a safe journey climbing Broad Peak.

The expedition was Geis’ first try at an 8,000-meter peak in Pakistan, while it was expected to be the final one for Sakhi, who is a guide for the company, as well as a geographer and high-altitude photographer who has climbed some of the world’s major peaks, according to the Moving Mountains website.

Geis, 39, lived in San Antonio. She announced on social media earlier this year that she was closing her Pilates studio to take “a giant leap of faith into the unknown to see where life goes. I have a sneaking suspicion there will be lots of helmets, harnesses, and crampons involved.”

Kimberly Hardman, a climber based in Alaska, met Geis at a Colorado women’s ice climbing weekend in January and they instantly connected and talked about climbing all over the world.

Geis was relatively new to ice climbing but was a natural athlete with experience mountaineering after climbing in Nepal, according to Hardman, who said Geis respected the mountains and understood the risks of climbing.

She didn’t go into it blindly, Hardman said.

“She was wanting to learn and grow,” Hardman said. “That’s what brought her to her happy place.”

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Khan reported from Peshawar, Pakistan. Associated Press journalists E. Eduardo Castillo in Beijing, Hallie Golden in Seattle and Josh Kelety in Phoenix contributed to this report.