The remains of a US climber were among three bodies recovered by rescuers on Pakistan’s Broad Peak, where at least 10 mountaineers went missing in an avalanche.
Sarah Mallory Geis from Texas was part of a 10-person expedition being led by the renowned Nepal-born British mountaineer Nirmal Purja, who served in the British Army and Royal Marines.
Her body was identified on Friday, as were those of Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy from Oman and Nepalese citizen Pur Bahadur Gurung, said the regional government in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan.
Purja’s team was attempting to summit Broad Peak, the world’s 12th tallest mountain located on the border with China, when the avalanche struck at midday on Thursday.
Drone footage on Friday showed signs of several more bodies in the search area, said Gilgit-Baltistan officials, although attempts to reach them on the ground have been hampered by bad weather.
The remains of the three mountaineers recovered so far have been taken to hospital by helicopter for "legal formalities regarding identification", according to the Information Department of Gilgit-Baltistan, the local region.
Regional police said the rescue operation was suspended on Friday night because of weather conditions.
"We hope to continue our operations, both aerial search and the ground rescue, till the time we find the survivors or the dead bodies," said Irfan Arshad, president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan.
The area in which the search is taking place is "remote and difficult", said Sajid Hussain, deputy director of the tourism department in Gilgit-Baltistan.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan earlier reported that four bodies had been located on the mountain, but later clarified that two bodies had been recovered as well as a body part of a climber.
Geis, 39, a resident of San Antonio, was an avid traveller who loved being outdoors, according to her Instagram page.
She announced on social media earlier this year that she was closing her Pilates studio to take “a giant leap of faith into the unknown to see where life goes. I have a sneaking suspicion there will be lots of helmets, harnesses, and crampons involved.”
With an altitude of 8,051 metres (26,414 feet), Broad Peak is considered one of the most challenging mountains to climb in Pakistan. It saw its first successful ascent in 1957 when an Austrian expedition reached the summit.
The team of 10 was last in contact with their tour operator at 9am local time on Thursday. An avalanche struck the team when they were ascending from Camp II to Camp III at an approximate altitude of 6,600 metres, the commissioner of Gilgit-Baltistan announced late that night.
The rescue mission began at 8.30am on Friday after the tour agency made a formal request to the Pakistan army, which then deployed three helicopters to join the effort.
But later on Friday it was announced that rescue teams were stuck at base camp because of challenging weather conditions. “Due to inclement weather, the search and rescue operation for the day has been suspended and will resume the following day, with additional Sherpas from other expeditions joining the effort,” a statement said.
Alongside Mr Purja, the other missing members of the expedition to Broad Peak are Wang Zhong, a Chinese climber, Gyalu Sherpa, Nima Sherpa, Kili Pemba, Pur Bahadur Gurung (also known as Yukta) and Suhail Shahzad.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a news briefing on Friday that Chinese authorities were “urgently verifying the situation and gathering information” and that they were “willing to offer help based on the requirements of the Pakistan side”.
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