Hope Fades as Rescuers Recover U.S. Climber's Body; Search Continues for Nirmal Purja and Others After Broad Peak Avalanche

Islamabad/ Kathmandu: The search for climbers missing after a devastating avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak has increasingly become a recovery operation after rescuers recovered the body of American climber Mallory Geis, while the fate of renowned Nepal-born mountaineer Nirmal Purja and several others remains unknown.

Geis, a 39-year-old climber from San Antonio, Texas, was among a 10-member multinational expedition attempting to summit the 8,047-metre Broad Peak when a powerful avalanche struck the mountain on Thursday. Her body was recovered on Friday during an extensive search involving Pakistan Army helicopters, aerial drones, and experienced high-altitude rescue teams.

Authorities had earlier recovered and identified the bodies of Pur Bahadur Gurung of Nepal and Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy of Oman. The three bodies have been airlifted to a hospital in Gilgit-Baltistan, where legal formalities, including official identification, are being completed before they are returned to their families.

The search operation continues under extremely challenging conditions. Heavy snowfall, poor visibility, and the constant threat of further avalanches have repeatedly disrupted rescue efforts, forcing helicopters to suspend flights and slowing the progress of ground teams attempting to reach the disaster site.

Although aerial drones have located additional victims buried beneath the snow, rescuers have been unable to confirm their identities because of the hazardous conditions. Officials say at least one climber remains unaccounted for.

International attention has focused on Nirmal Purja, the celebrated Nepal-born mountaineer leading the expedition, who is among those still missing. Purja earned worldwide recognition in 2019 by climbing all 14 of the world's mountains above 8,000 metres in just over six months, setting a record that established him as one of the most accomplished high-altitude climbers of his generation.

Rescuers briefly had reason for optimism after GPS trackers indicated movement from three members of the expedition, including Purja. However, those hopes faded when one of the tracking devices was later found severely damaged beneath the avalanche debris. Officials now believe the movement may have been caused by shifting snow or damaged equipment rather than by surviving climbers.

Despite the deteriorating situation, rescue teams have vowed to continue the search.

Pakistan Army helicopters continue to conduct aerial reconnaissance whenever weather conditions permit, while specialist mountaineers are preparing to return to the avalanche zone as soon as it is safe. Every mission is carried out under the constant threat of additional avalanches, making the operation as dangerous for rescuers as it is challenging.

The Alpine Club of Pakistan has acknowledged that the likelihood of finding survivors has diminished significantly after more than 24 hours in freezing temperatures beneath deep snow. Nevertheless, officials say search efforts will continue, noting that rare survival stories have occurred in extreme mountain environments.

Broad Peak, rising 8,047 metres on the Pakistan-China border in the Karakoram range, is the world's 12th-highest mountain and one of its most technically demanding. It attracts experienced climbers from around the world but is also notorious for rapidly changing weather, unstable glaciers, and frequent avalanches.

The latest tragedy has once again underscored the extreme dangers of high-altitude mountaineering in the Karakoram. As rescue teams continue their efforts whenever conditions allow, families in Nepal, the United States, Oman, and elsewhere anxiously await news of their loved ones, hoping for answers amid one of the region's most challenging rescue operations in recent years.