Search and Recovery Efforts for Missing Climbers in Pakistan’s Karakoram Mountain Range

The remains of American climber Sarah Mallory Geis were recovered Friday after she went missing in an avalanche on Broad Peak, part of Pakistan’s Karakoram range. Geis was part of an international climbing team of over 10 people who became unaccounted for on Thursday.

Alongside Geis, rescuers found the remains of Omani climber Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy and Nepali climber Pur Bahadur Gurung. Signs of other bodies were visible in drone footage from the search area, local officials reported.

“We hope to continue our operations, both aerial and ground rescue, until we find the survivors or their remains,” said Irfan Arshad, president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan.

The mission faced a temporary halt Friday night due to adverse weather. The search includes renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, who is noted for his record-breaking ascents of the world’s 14 highest peaks. He remains among the missing.

Sajid Hussain, deputy director of the tourism department in Gilgit-Baltistan, described the rescue area as “remote and difficult.” The Gilgit-Baltistan police communicated via Facebook that high-altitude porters and rescue teams are retrieving and transporting bodies to the base camp with caution due to the rugged and challenging conditions.

The climbers hail from various nations, including Nepal, Pakistan, China, and the U.K. Broad Peak, the twelfth-highest mountain globally at 26,414 feet, stands as the backdrop of this tragic incident.

British mountaineer Nirmal Purja, originally from Nepal and known for his Netflix documentary “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible,” is among those missing in this avalanche incident.