Remains of US climber found on Broad Peak after avalanche in Pakistan

Rescuers identify remains of climbers from Oman and Nepal

Rescuers recovered the remains of American climber Mallory Geis following an avalanche on Broad Peak, one of the world’s highest mountains, the Information Department of Gilgit Baltistan said Friday.

Geis, 39, from San Antonio, Texas, according to US media, was part of a 10-person multinational expedition on the 8,047-metre (26,400-foot) peak in the Karakoram range along the Pakistan-China border when the avalanche struck Thursday, the Information Department and the Alpine Club of Pakistan said.

The remains of two other climbers — Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy of Oman and Pur Bahadur Gurung of Nepal — have also been identified. All three sets of remains were transported by helicopter to a hospital for legal formalities regarding identification, the Information Department said.

The Alpine Club of Pakistan initially said four bodies had been located, but later clarified that two bodies and a body part had been found. The club said several other expedition members were spotted by aerial drones, though their condition would not be known until a ground search team could reach the area. One climber remains unlocated, and bad weather has hampered rescue efforts.

The Alpine Club’s communications lead, Naila Kiani, said the chances of survival in such harsh conditions after more than 24 hours were “very slim,” but added that “miracles do happen.” The Pakistan army dispatched two rescue helicopters carrying personnel and specialized equipment to support the operation, the club confirmed Friday.

The expedition was led by Nirmal Purja, the Nepal-born climber known for climbing all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre-plus mountains in just over six months in 2019. Purja, a former member of the British Special Boat Service, summitted his first peak — Lobuche East in Nepal — in 2012.

The Alpine Club told the BBC it had detected movement from the GPS trackers of three expedition members, including Purja, but a helicopter crew was unable to see anyone at those locations. One tracker — belonging to Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi — was later found smashed, leading rescuers to believe the earlier movement readings may have been a glitch.

Sakhi is the only expedition member not yet spotted by rescuers. The team also included Kili Pemba Sherpa, a guide who has summited Mount Everest 15 times and took part in a historic K2 winter expedition in 2021, and Pur Bahadur Gurung, a guide certified by the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations who is close to completing the 14-peaks challenge.

Broad Peak, the world’s 12th-highest mountain, was first summitted by an Austrian expedition in 1957. Dozens of climbers have died on the mountain, including at least six in its deadliest year, 2013.