Nirmal Purja among climbers missing in Pakistan as rescuers find four bodies

Four bodies have been recovered from a mountain in Pakistan during a search for 10 international climbers missing after an avalanche, according to officials.A major search operation is underway on Pakistan's Broad Peak, in the Karakoram mountain range, to find the six other missing climbers.But adverse weather has been hampering rescue efforts, according to the region's Chief Minister Amjad Hussain.Broad Peak is the world's 12th-highest mountain at 8,047 meters and attracts climbers from around the globe.The Alpine Club of Pakistan Vice President, Karrar Haidri, said the climbers lost contact with their base camp while attempting to scale the mountain on Thursday."We remain hopeful for the safe recovery of the missing climbers," the club said."The entire team has reportedly been out of communication since the avalanche."A mountaineering rescue team is helping search for climbers missing after an avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak. (Supplied: Alpine Club of Pakistan)According to the alpine club, the expedition included five Nepali climbers, Pakistani mountaineer Sohail Sakhi, Omani climber Nathira, American climber Mallory Geis, a Chinese climber identified only as Wang and another foreign climber.The expedition leader was the renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, a Nepal-born former soldier in the British army. widely known as Nims Dai.Also widely known as Nims Dai, he climbed the world's 14 highest peaks in a record 189 days in 2019, an achievement featured in a Netflix documentary.Moving Mountains, a travel company based in Pakistan, announced late last month that the expedition team was on its way to the small town of Askole and wished them a safe journey climbing Broad Peak.Mr Purja posted on social media earlier this week that he was close to becoming the first person to climb all 14 "super peaks" twice without oxygen."Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down," he wrote on X."I take zero mountains for granted. Not one. The moment my foot leaves basecamp, it's 100%. Always has been. Always will be."It's about showing YOU that your own mountains — whatever they are — are climbable."Moving Mountains said the expedition would be Ms Geis' first try at an 8,000-meter peak in Pakistan, while it was expected to be Mr Sakhi's final one.Mr Sakhi is a guide for the company, as well as a geographer and high-altitude photographer, and has climbed some of the world's major peaks, according to Moving Mountains' website.Ms Geis, who lives in San Antonio, announced on social media earlier this year that she was closing her Pilates studio to take "a giant leap of faith into the unknown to see where life goes"."I have a sneaking suspicion there will be lots of helmets, harnesses, and crampons involved," she posted.Pakistan's Broad Peak in the Karakoram mountain range is a popular expedition for climbers. (AP)The Nepalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said six of the 10 climbers missing in the avalanche were from Nepal.Nepal had "received assurances from the Pakistani authorities that they would mobilise all available resources for timely search and rescue operations", it said in a statement.On Friday, China's government said it was trying to verify whether any of its nationals were among the 10 missing climbers."We will provide assistance to Chinese citizens in need and are also willing to offer help in accordance with the needs of the Pakistani side," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.The four bodies found had not yet been recovered, according to Pakistani security sources, who did not give details of where they were found.Accidents are common during climbing expeditions in northern Pakistan because of avalanches and rapidly changing weather.AP/Reuters