Body of US climber who died in Broad Peak avalanche airlifted from base camp to Skardu

GILGIT: The body of US climber Sarah Mallory Geis was successfully airlifted to Skardu on Tuesday after being struck by an avalanche on Broad Peak last month. Geis was among 10 members of an expedition led by renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, who declared there were no survivors following the July 30 incident. Geis was one of two climbers whose bodies had not yet been recovered, being found 22 days after disappearing in the avalanche.

Initially, the body was moved to Broad Peak's base camp by local volunteers but could not be airlifted due to poor weather conditions. Pakistan Army helicopters eventually retrieved her body on Tuesday, which was then transported to a helipad in Skardu and sent to the Combined Military Hospital for further procedures. The body will be sent to Islamabad following completion of legal processes, according to ACP General Secretary Ayaz Shigri.

Meanwhile, the search for Nawang Thindu Sherpa, the last missing member of the expedition, is ongoing. Broad Peak, the world's 12th highest mountain, is known for its technical difficulty. A separate rescue mission also resumed on Tuesday to recover Pakistani mountaineer Dr Asma Mushtaq's body, who died on August 20 while descending from Spantik due to high-altitude sickness.