Bodies of Five Broad Peak Climbers Flown From Skardu to Islamabad

The bodies of five foreign climbers killed in the July 30 avalanche on Broad Peak have been flown from Skardu to Islamabad, wrapped in their respective countries’ flags, following a joint search operation by Pakistan Army Aviation and ground search teams.

All ten climbers in the expedition, including renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, were confirmed dead after the avalanche swept them from an altitude of roughly 6,600 meters on the slope between Camp 2 and Camp 3.

The climbers came from five countries — Nepal, Pakistan, Oman, the United States, and China — reflecting Broad Peak’s international draw as one of the most demanding ascents among the world’s 8,000-meter peaks. Purja, the Nepali-British mountaineer who set the record for climbing all 14 of the world’s highest peaks in a record 189 days, was leading the expedition through his company Elite Exped, which confirmed his death and that of the rest of the team in a social media statement expressing profound sadness over what it called an unimaginable loss.

Rescue teams recovered seven bodies within days of the avalanche, with search operations continuing for the remaining climbers in what officials described as remote and difficult terrain. Upon arrival in Islamabad, the recovered bodies will be handed over to their respective countries’ embassies, who will then arrange repatriation to the climbers’ home nations. Pakistan’s military said it is providing full cooperation and support to civilian administration and diplomatic officials throughout the process.

Broad Peak, the world’s twelfth-highest mountain at 8,051 meters, sits in the Karakoram range near K2 in Gilgit-Baltistan, a region considered one of Pakistan’s most technically demanding climbing destinations. The tragedy has drawn international tributes, including from Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah, who said the climbers’ courage, dedication, and contributions would remain an inspiration despite their deaths.

The scale of loss — an entire ten-member international expedition — marks one of the deadliest single incidents in recent Himalayan and Karakoram mountaineering history, given how rarely avalanches claim an entire team simultaneously rather than individual climbers in isolated incidents. Purja’s death in particular has reverberated well beyond climbing circles, given his prominence following the 2019 achievement documented in the Netflix film “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible,” even though his speed record was later broken in 2023.

The coordinated search and repatriation effort involving Pakistan’s military, civilian administration, and multiple foreign embassies underscores the complex logistical challenge of recovering climbers from extremely remote high-altitude terrain and ensuring their return to grieving families across several countries. Whether search efforts locate the remaining unaccounted-for climbers in the difficult terrain surrounding the avalanche site will determine whether this recovery and repatriation process concludes fully or continues into further search phases.