Body of US climber found after Pakistan avalanche
Rescuers recovered the body of Mallory Geis, a 39‑year‑old climber from San Antonio in Texas, following a fatal avalanche on Broad Peak, the 12th‑highest mountain in the world. The accident occurred on Thursday during an expedition that included 10 climbers from 13 nations.
Authorities confirmed the discovery of Geis’s remains and identified two additional bodies – Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy from Oman and Pur Bahadur Gurung from Nepal. A third climber’s whereabouts remain unknown.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan clarified that only two bodies were found, plus one partial body, and that further search efforts are hampered by inclement weather. Helicopter teams transported the recovered remains to a hospital for legal confirmation.
The expedition was led by renowned Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja, famous for summiting all 14 of the world’s 8,000‑metre peaks in six months in 2019. Other notable climbers include Pakistani national Sohail Sakhi, who is still missing after the avalanche.
Broad Peak’s harsh conditions have claimed dozens of lives since its first successful ascent in 1957. The latest incident underscores the enduring danger inherent in high‑altitude mountaineering and the challenges of search and rescue in the Karakoram range.
