Pakistan avalanche: Four bodies found as search for Nirmal Purja and 9 other climbers enters critical phase
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Pakistan avalanche: Four bodies found as search for Nirmal Purja and 9 other climbers enters critical phase")
Pakistan avalanche tragedy deepens: Four bodies recovered, renowned climber Nims Dai untraced Photograph: (Others)
Four bodies have been recovered after an avalanche struck below Camp III on Pakistan's Broad Peak, while around 10 climbers—including renowned mountaineer Nirmal "Nims Dai" Purja—remain missing.
Four bodies have been recovered after an avalanche struck below Camp III on Broad Peak (8,047 metres) in Pakistan's Karakoram range, while renowned mountaineer Nirmal "Nims Dai" Purja remains among around 10 climbers feared missing.
Pakistani mountaineering authorities have not yet confirmed the identities of the recovered bodies, and there has been no communication with the missing expedition members since the avalanche occurred on Thursday.
According to Thaneshwar Guragain, general manager of Seven Summit Treks, the missing climbers belong to multiple expedition teams. Three are from Seven Summit Treks, three from Purja's team, two from Imagine Nepal, and one each from Pakistan and the United States.
Initially, two bodies were found during ground rescue efforts, but the recovery count has now risen to four. Authorities are still working to establish their identities.
Helicopter rescue delayed
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Rescue operations have been slowed by poor weather, which has prevented helicopters from reaching the avalanche site.
With aircraft grounded, rescuers were forced to launch an initial search on foot. Climbers swept downhill by the avalanche were brought back to base camp overland, during which the bodies were recovered.
According to the BBC, a helicopter is expected to take off from Skardu once weather conditions improve.
"We have remained in constant contact with the relevant authorities to ensure all available resources are mobilised as quickly as possible," the Alpine Club of Pakistan said, expressing hope for the safe recovery of those still missing.
Search teams have also been dispatched after reports suggested one climber's location may be near the foot of the mountain.
Tracker offers faint hope
Purja's business partner said a tracking device carried by the Nepal-born climber has continued to register movement since the avalanche.
Speaking to Nepal's Kantipur, Mingma Gyabu Sherpa said the tracker initially suggested Purja had been swept downhill before later indicating another change in location.
"Initially, it appeared that he had been swept downhill by the avalanche," Mingma said. "But after the point where the tracking had stopped, the location appears to have shifted again."
He cautioned that the data alone could not confirm Purja's condition but said it provided some indication of activity.
Purja, a former British Army soldier and Royal Marine, became internationally renowned in 2019 after climbing all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre peaks in just over six months, setting a world record that was documented in the Netflix film 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.
Rescue window narrowing
Guragain said rescue operations in Pakistan are generally slower than those in Nepal because helicopters are operated primarily by the military and require official clearance before deployment.
He acknowledged that the chances of finding survivors diminish with every passing hour.
Broad Peak, the world's 12th-highest mountain, is regarded as one of the most technically demanding peaks in the Karakoram.
