Multiple mountaineers dead after Pakistan avalanche

Rescuers were working Friday to recover the bodies of several members of a climbing expedition from Broad Peak on the Pakistan-China border after an avalanche struck the mountain the day before, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan. Rescuers initially recovered two bodies, along with a leg belonging to an unknown person, and spotted additional climbers on the more than 26,000-foot peak using aerial drone footage. The condition of the remaining climbers was unknown, the club said. A total of 10 were caught in the avalanche.

The club identified two deceased climbers as Nadhira Al Harthy of Oman and Pur Badahur Gurung of Nepal. The Associated Press, citing a local government statement, later identified one of the dead as Mallory Geis of the United States. People still missing or whose conditions were unknown included climbers from China, Pakistan, and Nepal. The governments of Nepal and Pakistan were involved in ongoing rescue operations, the club said.

Broad Peak is the world’s 12th highest mountain.

Dig deeper: Read Bekah Bernhardt’s report on an avalanche in Nepal last year that killed several climbers.