“Survival chances slip”: Pakistan intensifies search for missing climbers
World renown Nepali-British climber Nirmal Purja was declared dead.
New Delhi: Authorities in Pakistan are investigating the cause of the avalanche that swept at least ten climbers off Broad Peak, Pakistan's 12th-highest mountain, in one of the deadliest mountaineering tragedies in the Karakoram on Thursday.
On Friday, Pakistan’s Alpine Club said four bodies had been recovered from the avalanche site, with only two victims officially identified so far—Oman’s Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy and Nepal’s Pur Bahadur Gurung.
On Saturday, Nepali-British climber Nirmal Purja was declared dead, according to a statement issued by his expedition company.
Elite Exped, co-owned by Purja along with renowned mountaineers Mingma David Sherpa and Tejan (TJ) Gurung, confirmed his death in a statement posted on Instagram.
“It is with profound sadness and immense heartbreak that we confirm that Nirmal ‘Nimsdai’ Purja, tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak. We have also received confirmation that other members of the expedition sadly did not survive,” the statement read.
In a statement, the ACP said the expedition comprised 10 people overall: five Nepalese including Gurung, Pakistani mountaineer Sohail Sakhi, and a climber from China identified only as Wang.
Meanwhile, the BBC reported that rescuers had located the remains of US climber Mallory Geis, although authorities have not officially confirmed the identification.
Broad Peak (8,051 m), is considered one of the most technically demanding 8,000-metre peaks, with steep snow slopes, avalanche-prone terrain, and rapidly changing weather that make climbing particularly hazardous.
According to reports, the climbers were swept away by the avalanche at an altitude of around 7,000 metres, prompting an extensive search and rescue operation.
The remaining missing climbers include Kili Pemba Sherpa, Nima Sherpa, Nawang Thindu Sherpa, Gyalu Sherpa (all from Nepal), Sohail Sakhi of Pakistan, Mallory Geis of the United States and Wang Zhong of China.
The Pakistan authorities have deployed Army Aviation helicopters to locate the missing climbers, however the officials said bad weather and the high-altitude terrain have severely restricted rescue efforts.
“The survival chances of the missing climbers including Purja was sadly very slim”, Naila Kiani, an ACP spokesman told The Telegraph.
Meanwhile, China has shown willingness to assist Pakistan in locating the remains of the missing climbers.
China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said they were “urgently working to verify and understand the situation”.