An avalanche struck the upper slopes of Broad Peak (8,047 m) in Pakistan on Thursday. Ten climbers are currently missing, including Nepal’s Nirmal “Nims” Purja, one of the most renowned figures in contemporary high-altitude mountaineering. Search operations are being severely hampered by the extreme altitude and the challenging conditions on the mountain.
The news broke on Thursday, first reported by *Everest Chronicle* before being confirmed by the Alpine Club of Pakistan and Mingma David Sherpa, co-founder of Elite Exped. According to the initial reports, a massive avalanche struck shortly before noon local time as a team of ten climbers was making its way high on the normal route of Broad Peak, one of the Karakoram’s five 8,000-metre peaks.
Broad Peak.
The GPS trackers of several of the missing climbers
suddenly became stationary above 7,800 metres
where they have remained since the avalanche struck
Statement from the Alpine Club of