ISLAMABAD — The remains of renowned British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja and three other climbers have been found by a ground team on Broad Peak, one of the world's highest mountains, where a 10-member international expedition was swept away by an avalanche, officials said Sunday.
The avalanche struck the expedition on Thursday as the team was climbing above Camp 2 on Broad Peak, the world's 12th-highest mountain, in Pakistan's northern Gilgit-Baltistan region. The group included climbers and guides from several countries.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan identified the recovered climbers as Purja, Wang Zhong, Nima Sherpa and Kili Pemba Sherpa. The club praised military and civilian rescuers and volunteers involved in the recovery effort.
Search efforts have repeatedly been hampered by heavy snowfall, strong winds and poor visibility in the high-altitude terrain. On Friday, rescuers located four other bodies but were able to recover only three — Omani Nathira Ahmed, US climber Mallory Geis and Nepalese Bahadur Gurung — because harsh weather grounded search-and-rescue helicopters.
Military-backed rescue teams resumed the search Sunday for the two remaining climbers.
