Nadhira Al Harthy was the first Omani woman - and only its second citizen - to summit Mount Everest. Photo: Nadhira Al HarthyInfoAccomplished climber was among team of ten on expeditionThe NationalJuly 31, 2026An Omani mountaineer is feared dead after an avalanche struck Pakistan's Broad Peak during an expedition on Thursday.Nadhira Al Harthy was among a ten-strong team of climbers who were reported missing after the avalanche hit the mountain.She made history as the first Omani woman to summit Mount Everest in 2019 and has previously reached the peaks of K2 and Manaslu.The Alpine Club of Pakistan announced the deaths of Ms Al Harthy and Nepalese climber Pur Bahadur Gurung on social media on Friday. It said with "profound sorrow" that the bodies of the two climbers had been recovered. Their deaths have not been confirmed by authorities.Broad Peak is the 12th highest mountain in the world at 8,047 metres above sea level and is located in Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan.Local police said four bodies had so far been recovered from Broad Peak, but their identities have not been confirmed.Search and rescue operations are under way, with Pakistan's army sending two helicopters and climbers on other mountains in the region also assisting the effort.The team includes renowned climber Nirmal Purja, a Nepalese-born former member of the Royal Marines, known for scaling all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre-plus mountains in only six months in 2019.Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was "closely monitoring the situation" and was co-ordinating with authorities in Pakistan."We have been informed by the Pakistani authorities that the search and rescue operations are under way," the ministry said.Updated: July 31, 2026, 10:48 AM