Omani legend, US novice: Pakistan recovers bodies from Broad Peak

What the report says

Rescue teams in Pakistan are continuing to search for six climbers still missing after an avalanche struck Broad Peak, an 8,051-meter mountain in Gilgit-Baltistan and the world’s 12th highest peak, according to Al Jazeera. The incident occurred around midday on Thursday, and officials said the remote terrain and severe weather have made helicopter operations difficult.

Pakistani authorities said they recovered four bodies, though only three were identified at the time of reporting: Nepalese climber Pur Bahadur Gurung, American climber Sarah Mallory Geis, and Omani mountaineer Nadhira Al Harthy. The article said Al Harthy was the first Omani woman to summit Mount Everest. The fourth recovered body had not yet been identified.

The expedition included climbers from Nepal, Oman, the United States, Pakistan and China, with veteran mountaineer Nirmal Purja leading the team. Purja is widely known for setting a record in 2019 by climbing the world’s 14 highest peaks in 189 days, later featured in a Netflix documentary. Al Jazeera noted that Broad Peak is regarded as one of Pakistan’s toughest climbs.

The report also highlighted the backgrounds of the victims: Gurung was a highly experienced Nepali climber and rescuer, Al Harthy had served in Oman’s education ministry, and Geis was attempting her first 8,000-meter peak in Pakistan. The search continues as officials work in a mountainous area that remains hard to access.