Renowned Nepalese climber Nirmal Purja among 10 missing after avalanche in Pakistan
Nepal's veteran mountaineer Nirmal Purja is among 10 climbers who have gone missing after an avalanche struck an expedition on Pakistan's Broad Peak, prompting rescue efforts that have been hampered by adverse weather, officials said on Friday.
Broad Peak (8,051 metres), located in Pakistan's Karakoram range near K2, is the world's 12th-highest mountain and is considered one of the most challenging peaks to climb.
The climbers -- five from Nepal, including Purja, and five foreign nationals -- have been missing since around 9 am local time on Thursday after an avalanche hit the team at an altitude of about 7,000 metres on Broad Peak, Raj Bahadur Lama, General Secretary of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, said.
The foreign climbers include an American, a Chinese national, an Omani, and a Pakistani. The nationality of the fifth climber was not immediately known.
Search and rescue operations are underway, but bad weather has severely affected efforts, with helicopters unable to land in the mountainous terrain, according to Ang Tshering Sherpa, former president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association.
Purja, a former Gorkha and UK Special Forces soldier, is regarded as one of the world's leading high-altitude mountaineers. In 2019, he created history by climbing all 14 mountains above 8,000 metres in just over six months under his "Project Possible" expedition.
Nepal's Minister for Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation, Khadak Prasad Paudel, expressed concern over the incident and said the government was in regular contact with the Pakistani authorities.
"Deeply concerned by the reports of an avalanche and the loss of contact with Nirmal Purja 'Nims Dai' and fellow Nepali climbers in Pakistan," Paudel said in a social media post.
"We are in regular contact with the Pakistani authorities and receiving updates on the situation. Our thoughts are with the climbers and their families. We remain hopeful for their safe return," he said.
Pakistan's summer climbing season, which runs from June to August, frequently witnesses avalanches and unpredictable weather, posing significant risks to mountaineers.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan, in a statement, said it has remained in constant contact with government authorities to launch an immediate search and rescue operation.
It said every possible effort is being made to secure helicopter support and mobilise all available resources as quickly as possible.
"The Club prays for the safety and successful rescue of all the climbers and stands in solidarity with their families and the international mountaineering community during this difficult time," the statement said.
