All Ten Climbers Confirmed Dead on Broad Peak
All ten members of the expedition caught in an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak are now reported to have died, in one of the deadliest mountaineering disasters in years. They include the celebrated British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja, whose death was confirmed on Saturday. The team lost contact with base camp as the avalanche swept the mountain.
The loss of the entire party, high in the Karakoram, has stunned the climbing world and cast a pall over a summer season that draws elite mountaineers to Pakistan’s giant peaks. Purja, a former Gurkha who scaled the world’s fourteen highest mountains in record time, was among the most famous figures in the sport, his exploits watched by millions. Recovering bodies from above 8,000 metres is perilous and slow, and some may never be brought down. The disaster will renew debate about the growing crowds and the risks on the great Himalayan and Karakoram peaks. Watch for the recovery operation and any official account of what happened.