Pakistan army helicopters airlift bodies of famed climber Purja and 4 others killed in avalanche

Pakistan-army" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="25324" data-entity-type="organization">Pakistan Army helicopters airlift bodies of famed climber Purja and 4 others killed in avalanche 1 of 5 | Pakistani army soldiers and volunteers unload from a helicopter the bodies of climbers, that were recovered from Broad Peak nearly a week after an avalanche swept away a 10-member international expedition, upon arrival at a military base in Skardu, in northern Pakistan, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/ M.H. Balti) 2 of 5 | Pakistani army soldiers and volunteers prepare to load into ambulances, the bodies of climbers, that were recovered from Broad Peak nearly a week after an avalanche swept away a 10-member international expedition, upon arrival at a military base in Skardu, in northern Pakistan, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/ M.H. Balti) 3 of 5 | Pakistani army soldiers and volunteers prepare to load into ambulances, the bodies of climbers, that were recovered from Broad Peak nearly a week after an avalanche swept away a 10-member international expedition, upon arrival at a military base in Skardu, in northern Pakistan, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/ M.H. Balti) 4 of 5 | Pakistani army soldiers prepare to load into an ambulance, the body of renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, that was recovered from Broad Peak nearly a week after an avalanche swept away a 10-member international expedition, upon arrival at military base in Skardu, in northern Pakistan, Thursday, Aug 6, 2026. (AP Photo/ M.H. Balti) 5 of 5 | A Pakistan-army" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="25324" data-entity-type="organization">Pakistan Army helicopter carrying bodies of climbers, that were recovered from Broad Peak nearly a week after an avalanche swept away a 10-member international expedition, prepares to land at a military base in Skardu, in northern Pakistan, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/ M.H. Balti) 1 of 5 | Pakistani army soldiers and volunteers unload from a helicopter the bodies of climbers, that were recovered from Broad Peak nearly a week after an avalanche swept away a 10-member international expedition, upon arrival at a military base in Skardu, in northern Pakistan, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/ M.H. Balti) 1 of 5 Pakistani army soldiers and volunteers unload from a helicopter the bodies of climbers, that were recovered from Broad Peak nearly a week after an avalanche swept away a 10-member international expedition, upon arrival at a military base in Skardu, in northern Pakistan, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/ M.H. Balti) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 2 of 5 | Pakistani army soldiers and volunteers prepare to load into ambulances, the bodies of climbers, that were recovered from Broad Peak nearly a week after an avalanche swept away a 10-member international expedition, upon arrival at a military base in Skardu, in northern Pakistan, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/ M.H. Balti) 2 of 5 Pakistani army soldiers and volunteers prepare to load into ambulances, the bodies of climbers, that were recovered from Broad Peak nearly a week after an avalanche swept away a 10-member international expedition, upon arrival at a military base in Skardu, in northern Pakistan, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/ M.H. Balti) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 3 of 5 | Pakistani army soldiers and volunteers prepare to load into ambulances, the bodies of climbers, that were recovered from Broad Peak nearly a week after an avalanche swept away a 10-member international expedition, upon arrival at a military base in Skardu, in northern Pakistan, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/ M.H. Balti) 3 of 5 Pakistani army soldiers and volunteers prepare to load into ambulances, the bodies of climbers, that were recovered from Broad Peak nearly a week after an avalanche swept away a 10-member international expedition, upon arrival at a military base in Skardu, in northern Pakistan, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/ M.H. Balti) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 4 of 5 | Pakistani army soldiers prepare to load into an ambulance, the body of renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, that was recovered from Broad Peak nearly a week after an avalanche swept away a 10-member international expedition, upon arrival at military base in Skardu, in northern Pakistan, Thursday, Aug 6, 2026. (AP Photo/ M.H. Balti) 4 of 5 Pakistani army soldiers prepare to load into an ambulance, the body of renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, that was recovered from Broad Peak nearly a week after an avalanche swept away a 10-member international expedition, upon arrival at military base in Skardu, in northern Pakistan, Thursday, Aug 6, 2026. (AP Photo/ M.H. Balti) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 5 of 5 | A Pakistan-army" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="25324" data-entity-type="organization">Pakistan Army helicopter carrying bodies of climbers, that were recovered from Broad Peak nearly a week after an avalanche swept away a 10-member international expedition, prepares to land at a military base in Skardu, in northern Pakistan, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/ M.H. Balti) 5 of 5 A Pakistan-army" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="25324" data-entity-type="organization">Pakistan Army helicopter carrying bodies of climbers, that were recovered from Broad Peak nearly a week after an avalanche swept away a 10-member international expedition, prepares to land at a military base in Skardu, in northern Pakistan, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/ M.H. Balti) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani military helicopters on Thursday airlifted the bodies of five climbers from the snow-covered slopes of Broad Peak nearly a week after an avalanche swept away a 10-member international expedition, officials said.Irfan Arshad Khan, president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, said the remains of the climbers killed in the July 31 avalanche were being transferred to a military hospital in the northern city of Skardu.Three bodies were brought off the mountain on Aug. 1. Thursday’s airlift raised the number of recovered bodies to eight, including renowned British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja. Two climbers remain missing and the search is ongoing following what the Alpine Club described as one of Pakistan’s deadliest mountaineering disasters.The bodies of Purja, Chinese climber Zhong Wang, Nepali climbers Nima Sherpa, Gyalu Sherpa and Kilu Sherpa were flown from the base camp of Broad Peak to the air base in Skardu before being transported to the hospital, regional authorities said. The international team of climbers came from Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, China, Britain and the United States. The bodies will be flown to Pakistan’s capital Islamabad after coordination with the embassies of the climbers’ home countries, officials said.Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar this week expressed condolences to the victims’ families, saying he was deeply saddened by the tragedy and that Pakistan remained committed to the recovery operation in coordination with the Nepal, Oman, U.K. and U.S. embassies. 1 MIN READ 2 MIN READ 2 MIN READ Mountaineering accidents are common in northern Pakistan, where climbers face hazards including avalanches, falling ice and rock, extreme altitude and rapidly changing weather. A Chinese climber died last year after being struck by falling rocks while descending K2, the world’s second-highest mountain.The bodies of foreign climbers who die attempting to summit Pakistan’s mountains are typically recovered only at the request of their families and governments. If relatives decline recovery efforts, the remains are usually left on the mountain where the climbers died.On Wednesday, the Alpine Club thanked the Pakistani and Nepali recovery teams, including Pakistani mountaineers Sirbaz Khan, Abid Beg and Sherzad and Nepali climbers Dipen Gurung and Pemba Chhewang Sherpa for their roles in the difficult recovery operation.___Khan reported from Peshawar, Pakistan.