Broad Peak Avalanche: Four bodies recovered; identification awaited after group including top mountaineer Nirmal Purja goes missing

Washington DC [US], July 31 (ANI): Four bodies have been recovered by ground teams following an avalanche on Broad Peak, the world's 12th-highest mountain, but their identities are yet to be confirmed, Alpine Club of Pakistan President Irfan Arshad Khan said.
Khan said that while four bodies have been retrieved so far by rescue teams, the identification process is still pending.
According to a report by CNN, emergency crews on the ground and in helicopters are searching the Karakoram mountain range for the 10 climbers, including one American, who are believed to have been on 8,047-meter-tall Broad Peak when an avalanche struck around midday Thursday.
Rescue operations are underway to locate a group of missing climbers, including world-renowned Nepal-born mountaineer Nirmal Purja.
According to CNN, along with 43-year-old Purja and American Mallory Geis, the group included climbers from Oman, Pakistan and Nepal, according to the Alpine Club.
None of the climbers have been heard from since the avalanche. The location of four climbers is showing up on GPS, according to Alpine Club general secretary Ayaz Ahmed Shigri, CNN reported.
Earlier on Friday, Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it is closely monitoring the situation following an avalanche on Pakistan's 8,047-metre Broad Peak and coordinating with Pakistani authorities to facilitate the "swift and safe rescue" of all affected mountaineers.
Broad Peak, located in the Karakoram mountain range, is the world's 12th-highest mountain and rises to an elevation of 8,047 metres. The avalanche struck the peak around midday on Thursday.
The club said that it had been "in constant contact" with the authorities to ensure that "all available resources are mobilised at the earliest opportunity".
"The Alpine Club of Pakistan is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with all concerned stakeholders," it said. (ANI)