Search for Seven Missing on Broad Peak After Avalanche, Including Renowned Nirmal Purja

Rescue teams, supported by military helicopters, resumed the search on Saturday, August 1, 2026, for seven members of a ten-person expedition who are listed as missing after an avalanche struck Broad Peak in Pakistan, according to the Associated Press and Pakistan's Dawn newspaper. The operation was suspended on Friday evening due to bad weather, and the bodies of three climbers were found during the day. The search continues despite dwindling hopes of finding survivors.

Bodies Found and Identification

According to AP, local police official Tahir Khan stated that the remains of climber Nathira Ahmed have been transported to the capital, Islamabad, while the bodies of American climber Mallory Geis and Nepali climber Bahadur Gurung have been held at a hospital in Skardu, the main city of Pakistan's northern Gilgit-Baltistan region. Pakistan's Dawn newspaper identified those found as Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy from Oman, Pur Bahadur Gurung from Nepal, and Mallory Geis from the United States.

Interestingly, reports on the number of bodies found vary. While AP and Dawn report three bodies found, the New York Times mentions four. There is no official confirmation of the exact number yet.

Missing Expedition Members

According to the Alpine Club of Pakistan, the expedition consisted of ten members. Dawn reports that among the seven missing are five Nepali nationals: renowned climber Nirmal Purja, who was also the expedition leader, along with Kili Pemba Sherpa, Nima Sherpa, Nawang Thindu Sherpa, and Gyalu Sherpa. Additionally, Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi and Chinese climber Wang Zhong are missing. AP adds that the expedition also included one foreign climber whose identity has not been disclosed.

Nirmal Purja, a Nepali by birth and a former British Army soldier, is widely known as Nims Dai. He gained global fame in 2019 when he climbed all 14 of the world's highest peaks in a record 189 days, a feat documented in the Netflix film "14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible." His record was broken in 2023.

Conditions on the Ground and Search Progress

Ayaz Shigri, general secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, told Dawn: "The mountainous terrain, bad weather, risk of avalanches, and snow are creating difficulties for the rescue team members." Naila Kiani, a fellow club member, added: "Data from their tracking devices shows they were thrown hundreds of meters down the mountain."

Broad Peak, standing at 8,047 meters, is the world's 12th-highest mountain and part of the Karakoram range in northern Pakistan. The avalanche struck the expedition on Thursday while climbers were attempting to summit. The Pakistan-based travel company Moving Mountains announced late last month that the team had set off toward the town of Askole at the start of the climb.

For Mallory Geis, this was her first attempt at a peak above 8,000 meters in Pakistan, while Sohail Sakhi, a guide, geographer, and high-altitude photographer, was expected to complete his list of such peaks, according to AP, citing Moving Mountains' website. Accidents are common on mountaineering expeditions in northern Pakistan due to avalanches, falling ice and rocks, extreme altitude, and rapidly changing weather.