A devastating avalanche struck an international climbing team on Broad Peak, leaving the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) deeply concerned. The incident occurred around midday on Thursday, when a team led by renowned mountaineer Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja was attempting to summit the 8,047-meter peak.
According to ACP General Secretary Ayaz Shigri, the club had been closely monitoring the situation and was in touch with authorities. The team consisted of Pakistani mountaineer Sohail Sakhi of Hunza, five Nepalese climbers, an American, an Omani, a Chinese, and one other foreign climber.
The GPS locations indicated that the team had been thrown down approximately 1 kilometer by the avalanche, leaving them likely trapped. The incident occurred when ACP General Secretary Ayaz Shigri told Dawn the climbers were heading to Camp 3 on Thursday when the avalanche struck.
“We are deeply concerned for their safety and well-being,” ACP General Secretary said in a statement issued on Wednesday night. “We are coordinating with government authorities and rescue agencies to mobilize helicopter support and ground rescue teams as soon as weather and operational conditions allow.”
The incident is not an isolated event, as more than 200 foreign climbers have advanced toward higher camps on K2 (8,611m), Gasherbrum I (8,080m) and Broad Peak (8,047m) after improving weather opened a summit window. The Alpine Club of Pakistan has been closely monitoring the situation.
The team had launched its summit bid on Broad Peak on Wednesday, targeting the summit by Friday. ACP General Secretary Ayaz Shigri told Dawn that they were heading to Camp 3 on Thursday when the avalanche struck. “The club prays for the safety and successful rescue of all the climbers and stands in solidarity with their families and the international mountaineering community during this difficult time,” he said.
Gasherbrum II summit
Meanwhile, an eight-member foreign expedition team summited Gasherbrum II (8,035m) earlier on Thursday morning. According to Seven Summit Treks, the climbers reached the peak between 4:50am and 5:05am.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety of high-altitude climbing in Pakistan’s mountain ranges. The Alpine Club of Pakistan is urging all mountaineers to exercise extreme caution when ascending these peaks.
Source: Dawn
Based on reporting from Dawn.
