Avalanche search underway for missing Broad Peak climbers

Rescue teams in Pakistan are carrying out a second day of search for climbers caught in an avalanche on the world's 12th-highest summit.

Among the seven still missing from the 10-person expedition on Broad Peak, on the border with China, is renowned Nepal-born climber Nirmal Purja.

The operation has expanded with local Pakistani climbers volunteering, together with others from Nepal who have halted their expeditions on nearby K2.

Bad weather has been hampering the search. Pakistani officials say the bodies of three climbers have been recovered.

They have been named as American Mallory Geis, Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy from Oman and Pur Bahadur Gurung from Nepal.

On Friday, the Alpine Club of Pakistan said several climbers had been spotted by drones but their condition was unknown.

The club's secretary general, Ayaz Shigri, told the BBC rescuers were concerned about the risk of further avalanches.

Military helicopters are on standby to fly to assist, weather permitting.

The search and rescue operation for the team began after reports of an avalanche on Thursday on the 8,047-metre (26,400ft) peak in the Karakoram range.

The multinational climbing group was being led by Purja. He is known for climbing all 14 of the world's 8,000m-plus mountains in just over six months in 2019.

Purja joined the British Army in 2003 and the Special Boat Service - the special forces unit of the Royal Navy - in 2009.

In 2012, he reached the summit of the 6,119m Lobuche East mountain in Nepal - his first peak.

In June, Mallory Geis posted on social media that she was ready for "her first big kid climbing expedition in Pakistan".

Pur Bahadur Gurung - also known as Yukta - was certified by the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations and close to completing the 14-peaks challenge.

Also among the group is Kili Pemba Sherpa Kili, who has so far scaled Everest 15 times. In 2021, he was a member of a historic K2 winter expedition, along with several Nepali climbers including Purja.

Broad Peak is regarded as one of the more challenging mountains for climbers. The first successful ascent was in 1957, when an Austrian expedition reached the summit.

Since then, many more have climbed the mountain, but dozens have lost their lives.

One of Broad Peak's deadliest years was 2013, when at least six fatalities were recorded.

-BBC