Broad Peak avalanche: Three Nepal climbers' bodies return to Kathmandu

The bodies of three Nepalese climbers killed in the Broad Peak avalanche arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday. Their return has renewed focus on the risks of high-altitude recovery as several victims remain unrepatriated.The bodies of three Nepalese climbers killed in an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir last month arrived in Nepal on Tuesday, officials said. They were among the 10 climbers who died in the avalanche on July 30.Veteran British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja was also among those killed. His body was flown to the UK, where his family lives, on Saturday. The bodies of Kili Pemba Sherpa, Gyalu Sherpa and Nima Sherpa reached Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Tuesday, according to officials of the Nepal Mountaineering Association.Their mortal remains will be kept at the Nepal Mountaineering Association head office in Naxal, Kathmandu, on Wednesday so that people can pay tribute to them. In a statement issued on Monday, Nepal's foreign ministry said the bodies of the three mountaineers would be handed over to their families after arrival in Nepal.The body of another Nepalese climber from the same group, Pur Bahadur Gurung, was brought to Kathmandu on August 7 and cremated the following day. Of the 10 climbers in the group, six were from Nepal, one was Pakistani, one Omani, one American and one Chinese. The bodies of one Nepalese climber and the climbers from the US and China are yet to be brought back from the mountain. Broad Peak, which stands at 8,051 metres in the Karakoram range near K2, is the world's 12th-highest mountain and is considered one of the most challenging peaks to climb. Recovery operations at such extreme altitudes are especially dangerous because of unstable snow, steep terrain and unpredictable weather, and often need specialised high-altitude rescue teams.With the arrival of the three bodies in Kathmandu, the process of bringing back the victims of the July 30 avalanche has continued, while some remains are still to be recovered and returned from Broad Peak. With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 11, 2026 21:20 IST