Mountaineering: Search resumes in Pakistan for seven missing climbers, three bodies found

Rescuers in Pakistan have resumed their search for seven mountaineers who remain missing following a deadly avalanche on Broad Peak, the world's 12th highest summit. The operation, which had been temporarily halted due to adverse weather conditions, is now underway again as authorities work to locate the remaining members of an international expedition.

On Friday, the bodies of three climbers were recovered and transported by helicopter for formal identification. The deceased have been identified as a national from the United States, one from Oman, and a Nepali climber. The avalanche occurred on Thursday, cutting off contact with the ten-person expedition led by renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja.

Search efforts are being conducted in extremely challenging terrain at high altitudes. Pakistani army helicopters and local climbers are coordinating with regional authorities. Drone imagery has reportedly helped spot additional bodies, but the difficult conditions are hampering recovery operations. The climbers were at an altitude of approximately 6,600 meters when the avalanche struck.

The expedition included Nirmal Purja, five Nepali climbers, one Pakistani, an Omani national, an American, and a Chinese climber. Purja, a former member of the British Army's Gurkha Brigade and the Special Boat Service, has achieved numerous climbing records. He had recently posted on social media about his ambition to be the first person to summit all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks twice without supplemental oxygen.