- Two helicopters are heading to Pakistan’s 8,051m Broad Peak after an avalanche left 10 people missing, while a ground search party found four bodies at the bottom of the slide.
- The avalanche hit just before 9:30 am local time, catching 10 summit-bound climbers at 6,600m; their InReach trackers showed a rapid fall, and the call for an aerial rescue was only made hours later.
- Tracker data showed Nirmal Purja fell 800m, while Nadhira Al Harthy fell almost to the base of the mountain.
- Karakorum Expeditions reported that Waqar Ali, with Sona Sherpa and two Pakistani climbers, recovered four bodies from the base of the avalanche opposite Broad Peak Base Camp.
- The Alpine Club of Pakistan identified two deceased climbers: Nadhira Al Harthy of Oman, the first Omani woman to summit Everest in 2019, and Pur Bahadur Gurung, a guide for Nirmal Purja’s EliteExped.
- Also missing are Wang Zhong of China and Nepalese climbers including Kili “Kilu” Pemba Sherpa, part of the team that completed the first winter ascent of K2 in 2021 with Nirmal Purja.
- Karakorum Expeditions said two of its members were also caught in the slide and remain out of contact, but a slight movement signal from one climber’s InReach device gave hope.
- Eyewitness Samson Sharaf, a Pakistani mountaineer, said the overhang where the accident took place is clearly visible and that “the entire, snow-laden face moved, sweeping the entire traverse.”
- GPS tracks place the avalanche between 8:57 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. at about 6,579 meters, between Camp II and Camp III; trackers showed sudden descents of 543 meters for Mallory Geis and 1,651 meters for Nadhira Al Harthy.
- The Alpine Club announced that search and rescue preparations are underway and will be deployed tomorrow morning; until then, all climbers are feared dead.
- Sohail Sakhi, originally from the alpine Hunza Valley in northeastern Pakistan, is a high-altitude guide whose American client, Mallory Geis, was attempting her first 8,000-meter peak.
- In addition to Everest, Nadhira Al Harthy has climbed Ama Dablam and Manaslu; her greater goal was to climb all 14 of the world’s 8,000m peaks.
- The missing roster also includes presumed “Mr. Wang,” Wang Zhong; Gelu Sherpa and Nawang Thindu Sherpa were identified as missing Nepali climbers by Seven Summits; the identity of another international climber has not been released.
Nirmal Purja, a renowned climber, is among 10 missing after a devastating avalanche on Broad Peak, Pakistan, which occurred at approximately 9:30 am local time. The avalanche struck climbers at an altitude of 6,600m, leading to a rapid descent of hundreds of meters.
As of now, four bodies have been recovered by a ground search party, while helicopters are deployed to locate the remaining six climbers. The search efforts include local climbers Sirbaz Khan and Sherzad Karim, who are assisting in the aerial search.12
The identities of two deceased climbers have been confirmed: Nadhira Al Harthy of Oman, the first Omani woman to summit Everest, and Pur Bahadur Gurung, a guide for Purja's EliteExped. Both were part of a group aiming to summit Broad Peak.46782122
The avalanche's impact was severe, with climbers' InReach trackers indicating drastic falls; Purja's tracker showed an 800m drop. The Alpine Club of Pakistan has stated that search and rescue operations are ongoing, but all missing climbers are feared dead due to the avalanche's scale and loss of communication.1617
Purja, known for his record of climbing all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks, was leading the expedition. Other missing climbers include notable local guides and international climbers, raising concerns about their safety in the treacherous conditions.
“The Alpine Club of Pakistan confirmed two victims: Omani climber Nadhira Al Harthy, the first Omani woman to summit Everest in 2019, and EliteExped guide Pur Bahadur Gurung. GPS tracks place the avalanche between Camp II and Camp III at about 6,579 meters, and Purja's InReach tracker shows an 800-meter fall.”
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