The remains of Sarah Mallory Geis, an American climber who was caught in an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan, were found Friday, according to Pakistani officials. Geis was part of an international group of at least 10 climbers when they went missing on Thursday.
Rescue teams also located the remains of Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy of Oman and Pur Bahadur Gurung of Nepal on Friday. Drone footage from the search area indicated the presence of several more bodies, officials reported.
Broad Peak, standing at 26,414 feet, is the 12th-tallest mountain globally. The rescue operation was temporarily suspended Friday night due to adverse weather conditions. Sajid Hussain, deputy director of the tourism department in Gilgit-Baltistan, described the rescue zone as "remote and difficult."
"High-altitude porters and rescue teams are working to retrieve the bodies and transport them to the base camp," the Gilgit-Baltistan police stated on Facebook Friday. "Due to the extremely rugged terrain and challenging weather conditions, the rescue operation is being carried out with the utmost caution."
Other climbers reported missing hail from Nepal, Pakistan, China, and the United Kingdom. Among those unaccounted for is Nirmal Purja, a 43-year-old British mountaineer of Nepalese origin, known for setting a record for the fastest ascent of the world's 14 highest mountains. Purja was also featured in the Netflix documentary "14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible."
Irfan Arshad, president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, stated on Friday, "We hope to continue our operations, both aerial search and the ground rescue, till the time we find the survivors or the dead bodies."