The remains of American climber Sarah Mallory Geis have been recovered after an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan's Karakoram mountain range, according to Pakistani officials. Geis was part of an international group of at least 10 people who went missing on Thursday.
Rescue teams also found the remains of Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy of Oman and Pur Bahadur Gurung of Nepal on Friday. Drone footage revealed signs of additional bodies in the search area, officials reported. The rescue operation was temporarily paused Friday night due to adverse weather conditions.
Broad Peak stands at 26,414 feet, making it the twelfth-tallest mountain globally. The recovery and transport of bodies to base camp are being carried out with extreme caution by high-altitude porters and rescue teams due to the remote, difficult, and rugged terrain, as well as challenging weather.
Among the missing mountaineers is Nirmal Purja, a renowned British mountaineer of Nepalese origin, 43, who previously set a record for the fastest ascent of the world's 14 highest mountains. Purja was featured in the Netflix documentary "14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible."
The remaining missing climbers are from Nepal, Pakistan, China, and the U.K.
Irfan Arshad, president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, stated Friday that search operations, both aerial and ground, would continue until all survivors or deceased climbers are located. The Gilgit-Baltistan police confirmed the ongoing efforts in a Facebook post.
In a separate incident, a Sherpa guide who disappeared on Mount Everest was found alive nearly a week later, crawling toward base camp. This provides a stark contrast to the ongoing recovery efforts in Pakistan.