British Nepalese expedition leader Nirmal Purja, who was featured in the Netflix documentary “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible” (2021), is among 10 people initially reported missing following a deadly avalanche Thursday on Broad Peak mountain in Pakistan.
A rescue team confirmed Friday that the remains of American mountain climber Sarah Mallory Geis, as well as those of Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy of Oman and Pur Bahadur Gurung of Nepal, have been found and recovered, reported ABC News.
The Pakistani Army’s communications division told The New York Times early Friday morning that four bodies had been recovered. According to the BBC, the Alpine Club of Pakistan has since said that this initial figure was a “miscommunication” and that two bodies and a body part were found.
The army noted search and rescue operations are ongoing.
Broad Peak is part of the Karakoram mountain range between Pakistan and China and is considered an “eight-thousander” for its apex or more than 8,000 meters. Dozens of people have died trying to reach the reach the world’s 12th-highest summit since it was first scaled in 1957.
Burja previously summited the 26,000-foot peak in 2019 as part of the Netflix documentary.
The avalanche Thursday reportedly hit the mountain at around 12 p.m. local time. Authorities in the Gilgit-Baltistan territory governed by Pakistan have had no communication with the missing climbers since, confirmed the Alpine Club of Pakistan in a social media statement.
The group added Friday, “Please refrain from declaring anyone dead until rescuers have physically confirmed the situation. The Government of Pakistan, the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan, the Government of Nepal, and the Pakistan Army are all engaged in the rescue mission.”
Gilgit-Baltistan police wrote on Facebook that the weather has hampered rescue efforts.
“High-altitude porters and rescue teams are working to retrieve the bodies and transport them to the base camp,” a post read. “Due to the extremely rugged terrain and challenging weather conditions, the rescue operation is being carried out with the utmost caution.”
Geis was a self-described “side quest enthusiast” and wrote on Instagram earlier this year that she was closing her pilates studio to take “a giant leap of faith into the unknown.” According to a Pakistani-based mountaineering agency, it was her first time climbing Broad Peak.
Purja set a world record for the fastest ascent of the world’s 14 highest mountains, which was captured in the Netflix documentary that made him famous, according to Sky News. He previously served in the British military for 16 years.
Purja repeated his record-setting feat in 2024 without the use of supplemental oxygen, and wrote Monday on social media that Broad Peak was the penultimate mountain he needed to climb in his second quest to scale all 14 “eight-thousanders” without supplemental oxygen.
His mountaineering gear company Nimsdai Store said in a statement that it was “supporting the ongoing rescue efforts” and attempting to determine what had happened, according to the Times. The company asked for “patience” until “verified information” comes to light.