Rescue Teams Reach Nirmal Purja's Body on Broad Peak; Recovery Underway

Ground rescuers reach Nirmal Purja at 5,700m on Broad Peak; bodies to be brought down to Japanese camp

Kathmandu, August 2

As per the Alpine Club of Pakistan, the rescuers have sighted three additional bodies at the same location, with identities yet to be confirmed.

Mingma David Sherpa, one of the senior Nepali mountaineers who flew to Skardu in PoJK's Gilgit-Baltistan from Kathmandu, wrote on social media that the multi-phase retrieval effort is being carried out under extremely challenging conditions, with team safety prioritised above all else.

"According to the information received from the ground team today, the team is planning to bring the team from the current location to Camp-1. Then tomorrow, it is reported that the team will bring the Japanese camp. If the weather and mountain conditions cooperate, there is a possibility of a helicopter from the Japanese camp. The main objective of this campaign is to safely rescue the bodies of the deceased friends and return them home with dignity. The safety of the entire team involved in the rescue campaign is our top priority. Every decision is being taken with the safety of the team as the highest priority," Sherpa wrote on a social media post.

In the first phase of the recovery mission, the searchers will physically carry the recovered remains through steep, highly technical terrain from the upper slopes down to Camp-1.

As of now, direct high-altitude helicopter extractions have been ruled out due to the hazardous landscape and the possibility of further avalanches. As per the searchers, the body will be brought down to Japanese Camp by Monday in case the conditions remain favourable.

Provided the weather remains stable, and the mountain avoids secondary slides, Pakistani Army Aviation helicopters are on standby at the Japanese Camp to airlift the deceased climbers and the recovery personnel to safety in the valley below.

Famed Nepalese-origin mountaineer Nirmal Purja tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak, Nimsdai Foundation announced on Saturday.

In an official statement shared on its Facebook page, the Nimsdai Foundation also said that it received confirmation of other members who also perished during the avalanche.

"Today, it is with profound sadness and immense heartbreak that we confirm that Nirmal 'Nimsdai' Purja, tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak. We have also received confirmation that other members of the expedition sadly did not survive," the Nimsdai Foundation said.

The disaster struck on Thursday around midday while a 10-member expedition team was ascending Broad Peak, standing at 8,047 meters, at an altitude of approximately 6,600 meters. The team lost all communication on Thursday morning before reports of the massive avalanche emerged that evening, according to official statements, as reported by Dawn.

— ANI