Search teams recover 4 more bodies from Pakistan peak

Key Points:

• Search teams supported by military helicopters recovered the bodies of British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja and three other climbers from Broad Peak, raising the total bodies recovered to seven after an avalanche struck nearly a week ago.
• The Alpine Club of Pakistan described the recovery operation as one of the most technically challenging ever conducted on the mountain, with bodies brought to Broad Peak base camp before transport to a military hospital in Skardu.
• The avalanche last Thursday in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region claimed the lives of climbers from Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, China, Britain, and the United States, marking one of Pakistan’s deadliest mountaineering disasters.
• Families and supporters held a candlelight vigil in Kathmandu, with Buddhist monks chanting prayers and mourners honoring the victims, while Pakistan’s Foreign Minister expressed condolences and affirmed ongoing cooperation with foreign embassies for the recovery efforts.
• The Alpine Club acknowledged the efforts of Pakistani and Nepali recovery teams, highlighting the risks of mountaineering in northern Pakistan due to avalanches, falling ice, and extreme weather conditions.