Authorities in Pakistan have confirmed the recovery of three bodies following a major avalanche on Broad Peak, the world's 12th highest mountain. Among those identified is 39-year-old American climber Mallory Geis, a resident of San Antonio, Texas. The other recovered victims have been identified as Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy from Oman and Pur Bahadur Gurung of Nepal.
The incident occurred on Thursday, impacting a 10-person expedition led by the renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja. The group was navigating the 8,047-metre peak, located in the Karakoram range along the border with China, when the avalanche struck. All recovered remains have been transported by helicopter to a local hospital for formal identification procedures, according to the Information Department of Gilgit Baltistan.
Rescue efforts have been significantly hindered by adverse weather conditions. While the Alpine Club of Pakistan initially reported a higher number of casualties, they later clarified that two bodies and a body part had been recovered, with additional remains spotted by aerial drones. Search operations are expected to resume on Saturday, though officials noted that reaching the site remains difficult. The location of one team member, Sohail Sakhi, remains unknown; his GPS tracker was discovered destroyed, leading officials to conclude that previous signals indicating movement were likely technical errors.
The expedition included several highly experienced mountaineers, such as Kili Pemba Sherpa, who has summited Everest 15 times. Naila Kiani of the Alpine Club of Pakistan acknowledged that while the window for survival in such extreme conditions is narrow, search teams continue to work under the support of the Pakistan army, which has deployed specialized personnel and equipment to the region.
Source: BBC News
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