ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – An international search-and-rescue operation is underway in northern Pakistan after an avalanche struck an expedition on Broad Peak, leaving 10 climbers, including renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, missing.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan said the avalanche hit Purja’s team, also known as Nims Dai. Since the incident, the climbers have not made contact with rescue authorities.
Officials are preparing helicopters and other rescue resources. However, poor weather and difficult mountain conditions could delay operations.
International Expedition Loses Contact
The Alpine Club said the missing expedition includes five Nepalese climbers, Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi of Hunza, Omani climber Nathira, American climber Mallory Geis, a Chinese climber identified as Wang, and another foreign climber.
Vice President Karrar Haidri said officials received the first reports late Thursday. They immediately began coordinating an emergency response.
Meanwhile, club President Maj. Gen. Irfan Arshad has been working with government agencies to organize a search-and-rescue mission.
“The Alpine Club of Pakistan is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with all concerned stakeholders,” the organization said.
The club also expressed support for the climbers’ families and the international mountaineering community.
Purja Known for Record-Breaking Climbs
Purja, a Nepal-born British citizen, is one of the world’s best-known mountaineers.
In 2019, he climbed the 14 mountains higher than 8,000 meters in just 189 days, setting a world record at the time.
His achievement later became the subject of the Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible.
A Norwegian climber and her Nepali Sherpa guide broke that speed record in 2023.
Expedition Included Experienced and First-Time Climbers
Pakistan-based expedition company Moving Mountains announced in late July that the team had departed for Askole, the main gateway to the Karakoram range.
The company wished the climbers success on Broad Peak.
For Mallory Geis, the expedition marked her first attempt on an 8,000-meter mountain in Pakistan.
Sohail Sakhi, one of the team’s guides, was expected to make his final ascent of Broad Peak.
According to Moving Mountains, Sakhi is also a geographer and high-altitude photographer who has climbed several of the world’s highest peaks.
Geis, 39, of San Antonio, previously said on social media that she had closed her Pilates studio to pursue mountaineering full time.
She wrote that her future would include “lots of helmets, harnesses, and crampons.”
Rescue Hinges on Mountain Weather
Broad Peak rises 8,047 meters (26,401 feet) in Pakistan’s Karakoram range, making it the world’s 12th-highest mountain.
Every climbing season, experienced mountaineers travel there from around the world.
So far, authorities have not disclosed the avalanche’s exact location or the conditions facing rescue teams.
In addition, helicopter flights remain dependent on weather, visibility and other operational factors.
Rescue crews continue working to establish contact with the expedition while searching for the missing climbers.
This report is based on reporting by The Associated Press.
