Kathmandu — Rescue teams have recovered four bodies after a deadly avalanche struck a 10-member international expedition on Broad Peak, one of the world’s highest mountains, as search operations intensify with additional Sherpas and specialized experts.

The avalanche hit the climbers around midday on Thursday while they were ascending the 8,047-metre (26,400ft) peak in the Karakoram range on the Pakistan-China border. The multinational team was led by renowned Nepali climber Nirmal “Nims” Purja, famous for summiting all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks in just over six months in 2019.

Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Amjad Hussain ordered an immediate full-scale rescue after reports from the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) and local authorities. He directed all departments, the Pakistan Army, and air and ground teams to mobilize every available resource despite harsh weather, keeping forces on high alert.

On Friday, rescuers recovered the remains of three identified climbers: American Mallory Geis, 39, from San Antonio, Texas; Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy from Oman; and Pur Bahadur Gurung (also known as Yukta) from Nepal. The bodies were airlifted by helicopter to a hospital for formal identification procedures, according to the Gilgit-Baltistan Information Department.

The Alpine Club of Pakistan initially reported four bodies located, later clarifying two full bodies and a body part had been found, with others spotted via aerial drones. The condition of those still in the avalanche zone will only become clear once ground teams reach the site, a process delayed by bad weather that could take several hours. The location of at least one climber remains unknown.

Among the missing is Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi, whose GPS tracker was found smashed. Trackers for three others, including Purja, had earlier shown movement, but rescuers now believe some signals may have been glitches after finding damaged equipment. ACP communications lead Naila Kiani noted that survival chances after more than 24 hours in such extreme conditions are “very slim,” though she added that “miracles do happen.”

Two Pakistan Army rescue helicopters have already ferried personnel and specialized gear to the area. Additional Sherpas and rescue experts have joined the effort as operations resume. The club expressed solidarity with the climbers’ families and the global mountaineering community, praying for the safety of those still unaccounted for.

Other notable members of the expedition include Kili Pemba Sherpa, a veteran with 15 Everest summits who guided double-amputee Xia Boyu to the top of Everest in 2018 and took part in the historic 2021 K2 winter expedition alongside Purja. Gurung was close to completing the 14 peaks challenge.

Broad Peak, the world’s 12th-highest mountain, has a reputation as a demanding climb. First summited by an Austrian team in 1957, it has claimed dozens of lives over the decades, including at least six in 2013 alone.

Geis had described the trip as her “first big kid climbing expedition in Pakistan” in a social media post weeks earlier. The full outcome of the search remains uncertain as teams push forward under difficult conditions.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​