The body of renowned Nepalese-British climber Nirmal Purja was recovered by rescuers on Sunday, three days after he and nine other climbers were swept away in an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s Gilgit-Baltistan.
The mountain is the world’s 12th-highest and is considered one of the most challenging peaks to climb.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) said the 43-year-old mountaineer’s body was found at an altitude of around 5,700 metres, PTI news agency reported. “The ground rescue team has reached Nims Dai (Purja) at approximately 5,700m on Broad Peak — a mountain he loved, and a mountain that has now taken him from us,” the club said in a post on social media, adding that three additional bodies were found at the altitude.
Four bodies recovered, one additional body located at higher location
Purja was leading the expedition with nine other climbers – five from Nepal, one Pakistani, one Omani, one American and one Chinese. ACP general secretary Ayaz Shigri said a ground rescue team was transporting four bodies – including those of Purja, two other Nepali nationals and a Chinese citizen – down from the mountain, AFP reported. Shigri added that rescuers had also confirmed the presence of one additional body at a significantly higher elevation.
The ground team will bring the recovered bodies down to the Japanese camp, ACP said, adding that rescue efforts continue under extremely difficult terrain conditions, PTI reported. The ACP said that apart from the mountain terrain, the risk of avalanches and steep slopes are also posing challenges to the rescue efforts. Helicopters cannot be deployed owing to rough weather conditions, it added.
Earlier on Saturday, Purja’s expedition company, Elite Exped, said all ten members of the group were confirmed to have died.
Four of the ten bodies were recovered on Friday. Three of them were identified as Oman’s Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, Nepal’s Pur Bahadur Gurung and American Mallory Geis, ACP President Major General Irfan Arshad said. The bodies were airlifted to Skardu.
ACP general secretary Shigri