Tejal Somvanshi
Search and rescue operations are underway for ten international climbers led by renowned Nepal-born mountaineer Nirmal Purja, who went missing on Broad Peak in Pakistan’s Karakoram Range after an avalanche struck around midday on July 30, 2026. The climbing team includes Nepalese, Pakistani, Omani, American, and Chinese members, and all lost contact with base camp following the avalanche.
Pakistani military helicopters faced severe obstacles in launching rescue missions due to extreme weather conditions and high altitude limitations on the 8,047-metre peak — the world’s 12th-highest mountain. Four bodies have been recovered by ground teams so far, though they have not yet been identified. The Pakistan Alpine Club Vice President Karrar Haidri confirmed the avalanche and the launch of search-and-rescue operations.
The American climber Mallory Geis was among those confirmed as part of the expedition, along with Pakistani mountaineer Sohail Sakhi from Hunza, Omani climber Nathira, a Chinese climber identified as Wang, and several Nepalese team members. The rescue operation required coordination between Pakistani authorities, international mountaineering organisations, and high-altitude specialists.
Broad Peak, situated in Pakistan’s Karakoram Range, is regarded as one of the country’s tougher high-altitude climbs and has claimed numerous lives throughout its climbing history. Hazards include severe avalanche danger, altitude sickness above 7,000 metres, and rapidly deteriorating weather that can trap climbers at extreme elevations with little warning.
High-altitude specialists expressed serious concern about extended survival duration without shelter and adequate supplies at the altitudes involved. International disaster relief organisations mobilised additional resources to support ground and air search efforts as the window for finding survivors narrowed.
Climbing communities around the world expressed solidarity with families of the missing climbers. The incident renewed discussions about avalanche preparedness, satellite communication redundancy, and emergency rescue protocols for extreme-altitude expeditions on Pakistan’s eight-thousanders.
