Kathmandu, July 31 (SocialNews.XYZ) Four climbers have died and six others are missing after an avalanche struck Pakistan's Broad Peak, one of the world's highest mountains, Pakistani authorities confirmed on Friday.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan has identified two of the four confirmed dead as Pur Bahadur Gurung of Nepal and Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy of Oman.
The expedition to Broad Peak, led by veteran climber Nirmal Purja "Nims Dai", included Pur Bahadur Gurung "Yukta", Kili Pemba Sherpa "Kilu", Nima Sherpa, Nawang Thindu Sherpa, Gyalu Sherpa, Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy (Oman), Sohail Sakhi (Pakistan), Wang Zhong (China), and Mallory Geis (USA), according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan.
The 8,047-metre peak in the Karakoram range is one of the world's highest mountains. Purja, a Nepal-born naturalised British citizen, is among those missing in the avalanche. The expedition leader is renowned for climbing all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre-plus peaks in just over six months in 2019.
"The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) confirms, with profound sorrow, the loss of two climbers in the July 30 avalanche on Broad Peak: Nadhira Al Harthy of Oman and Pur Bahadur Gurung 'Yukta' of Nepal," Irfan Arshad Khan, President of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, wrote on his Instagram account.
"Nadhira's body has been recovered and is being transported by helicopter to Skardu. Arrangements for Yukta's transport are underway."
He said the identities of the remaining deceased climbers would be confirmed and shared as soon as official information became available.
"We urge everyone to await verified updates from ACP before sharing further details," he wrote, adding that search and rescue operations were continuing for those still missing.
The Nepali Embassy in Pakistan said its team met Alpine Club of Pakistan President Irfan Arshad Khan on Friday to receive an update on the ongoing search and rescue operation on Broad Peak.
In a social media post, the embassy said Nepal's Ambassador to Pakistan, Rita Dhital, urged the mobilisation of all available resources to intensify and expedite the rescue operation.
Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the Nepali Embassy in Islamabad was coordinating with all relevant Pakistani authorities, including the ACP, to facilitate the swift and safe rescue of all affected mountaineers.
"We have been informed by the Pakistani authorities that the search and rescue operations are underway," the ministry said on Friday afternoon. "The Ministry has received assurances from the Pakistani authorities that they will mobilise all available resources for timely search and rescue operations."
Nepal's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lok Bahadur Poudel Chhetri said the Nepali Embassy in Pakistan was in close coordination with Pakistani authorities to ascertain the condition of the missing Nepali climbers.
Among the climbers caught in the avalanche, Purja, popularly known as "Nims", is the most prominent figure because of his extraordinary mountaineering achievements.
Born in Nepal's Dhaulagiri region and raised in Chitwan, Purja served for 16 years in the military, including six years with the British Gurkhas and a decade with the United Kingdom's elite Special Boat Service (SBS), becoming the first Gurkha to join the special forces unit.
Purja took up mountaineering only in 2012 after trekking to Everest Base Camp while on military leave.
In 2018, he set a world record by climbing Everest, Lhotse and Makalu in just five days. The following year, he stunned the mountaineering world by completing all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre peaks in just over six months under his "Project Possible", shattering the previous record of nearly eight years.
Known for his exceptional ability to acclimatise quickly at extreme altitude, Purja has also led numerous high-altitude rescue missions, earning global recognition not only for his climbing achievements but also for saving lives in the Himalayas.
Before the tragedy, Purja wrote in a Facebook post on July 27 that climbing Broad Peak had not initially been part of his plan, but the prospect of becoming the first person in history to climb all 14 eight-thousanders twice inspired him to attempt the peak.
"This was never the plan. Initially, the plan was to climb just G2. But just before setting off for Pakistan, I ran the numbers on my 8,000m summits. That's when it hit me: if I tick off Broad Peak whilst I'm here, only one remains -- Cho Oyu. Then I become the FIRST person in history to climb all 14 eight-thousanders twice. Without oxygen," he wrote.
He added that he had never competed with anyone else.
"My only battle was against the man I was yesterday. Every single day, pushing my own limits," he said.
Source: IANS
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