ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters have joined the search-and-rescue operation for 10 international climbers caught in an avalanche on Broad Peak, as rescuers recovered four bodies from the disaster site in the Karakoram mountain range, officials said on Friday.
“Preliminary reports indicate that four bodies have so far been recovered,” a Gilgit-Baltistan police spokesperson said in a statement, adding that “the condition of the remaining climbers is still being verified.”
The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) identified two of the recovered climbers as Oman’s Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy and Nepal’s Pur Bahadur Gurung.
The avalanche struck the 8,047-metre Broad Peak around midday on Thursday during a summit push by a 10-member international expedition led by renowned Nepali mountaineer Nirmal “Nims” Purja.
BREAKING: Two Bodies Recovered in Search for Missing Broad Peak Climbers, Identified as Oman’s Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy and Nepal’s Pur Bahadur Gurung.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing: The 10-member international #climbing team went missing after an avalanche… pic.twitter.com/FY569y5OG4
— Sajjad Tarakzai (@SajjadTarakzai) July 31, 2026
A senior government official told WE News English that search and rescue operations remained underway despite difficult weather and terrain, with efforts focused on locating the remaining missing climbers.
International Team Missing
The missing expedition members include Pakistani mountaineer Sohail Sakhi from Hunza, five Nepalese climbers, an American, an Omani, a Chinese national and another foreign climber.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) said it lost contact with the team shortly after the avalanche.
According to the ACP, GPS data indicated the climbers were swept nearly one kilometre down the mountain and are believed to have been buried beneath snow and debris.
The team had left for its summit attempt on Wednesday and was climbing towards Camp 3 when the avalanche struck, ACP General Secretary Ayaz Shigri said.
Rescue Efforts Continue
The Alpine Club said it was coordinating with government authorities, the Pakistan Army and rescue agencies to locate the climbers.
Helicopter support and ground rescue teams have been mobilised, although adverse weather and the high-altitude environment have complicated rescue operations.
“The club prays for the safety and successful rescue of all the climbers and stands in solidarity with their families and the international mountaineering community during this difficult time,” the ACP said in a statement.
Busy Climbing Season
The accident occurred during the peak of Pakistan’s summer mountaineering season, when more than 200 foreign climbers are attempting some of the world’s highest peaks, including K2, Broad Peak and the Gasherbrum massif.
Earlier on Thursday, an eight-member international expedition successfully summited Gasherbrum II (8,035 metres), according to expedition organiser Seven Summit Treks.
The successful team included British-Pakistani climber Nadia Azad, Brazilian mountaineer Roman Andrade Romancini and six Nepalese climbers. Pasang Tenje Sherpa completed the ascent without supplemental oxygen, while Lhakpa Temba Sherpa became one of the few climbers to complete all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks.
Pakistan’s northern Karakoram range is home to five of the world’s 14 mountains above 8,000 metres and attracts hundreds of climbers each summer.
However, unpredictable weather, avalanches and extreme altitude continue to pose significant risks even for the most experienced expeditions.
