Ten climbers, including renowned mountaineer Nimsdai Purja, are missing following a massive avalanche on Broad Peak, the world’s 12th-highest mountain. Rescue operations have been suspended as weather conditions deteriorate on the 8,051-meter-tall Karakoram giant.
The incident occurred early Tuesday morning while the expedition team was navigating the upper sections of the mountain. Local authorities in Skardu confirmed that base camp support lost contact with the team shortly after reports of a large-scale snow slide near the summit ridge.
Search efforts were brief. Persistent heavy snowfall and dangerous wind speeds forced high-altitude rescue helicopters to ground their flights within hours of the distress signal.
“We are dealing with a critical situation,” said a spokesperson for the local tourism department. “The terrain is treacherous, and the current weather window has closed completely. Until the skies clear, we cannot risk sending ground teams into the path of another slide.”
Nimsdai Purja, famous for his “Project Possible” record-breaking ascent of all 14 eight-thousanders, was leading the expedition. His disappearance has sent shockwaves through the global climbing community, which is already reeling from an unseasonably dangerous summer season in the Karakoram.
Family members and expedition sponsors are waiting for updates at the Skardu base camp. Communication remains limited, as satellite signals from the upper reaches of Broad Peak have been erratic since the avalanche struck.
For now, the mountain remains silent. With the forecast predicting a multi-day storm cycle, the window to locate the missing climbers is narrowing by the hour.
