• Seven bodies airlifted to Skardu; one other body spotted, but could not be recovered
• Candlelight vigil held in Hunza to pay tribute to Sohail Sakhi, other members of ill-fated Broad Peak expedition
GILGIT: The search for Pakistani mountaineer Sohail Sakhi and American climber Sarah Mallory Geis entered its eighth day on Thursday, with rescue teams continuing efforts to locate the two missing members of an international expedition hit by an avalanche on Broad Peak.
The avalanche struck on July 30, cutting off contact with the 10-member international expedition led by world-renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja on Broad Peak, one of the world’s highest mountains. Mr Purja’s company later confirmed there were no survivors.
Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) Secretary General Ayaz Shigri told Dawn that seven bodies had so far been recovered and airlifted to Skardu, while the search for Mr Sakhi and Ms Geis was continuing.
Mr Shigri said a leg believed to be that of Ms Geis had been airlifted on Saturday along with the bodies of two other climbers, but her body has yet to be recovered.
The body of Nawang Thindu Sherpa was also spotted, but could not be recovered because of its location in a high-altitude, avalanche-prone area, ACP member Naila Kiani told Dawn.
Earlier in the day, the bodies of five climbers, including Purja, Wang Zhong, Nima Sherpa, Gyalu Sherpa and Killi Pemba “Kilu” Sherpa, were airlifted to the Combined Military Hospital in Skardu.
In a statement, the ACP said the recovery mission was among the most technically demanding operations carried out on Broad Peak.
The bodies were later prepared for repatriation to their respective home countries after the completion of legal formalities and identification procedures.
Officials said the search and rescue operation had been conducted under extremely challenging conditions and praised the efforts of local high-altitude porters, rescue personnel and mountaineers involved in the mission.
“Pakistan Army, local rescue teams and relevant agencies are participating in the search and rescue operation, and the search for the remaining missing mountaineers is continuing using all possible resources,” the ACP said.
The body of Nepali mountaineer Purna Bahadur Gurung, also known as Yukta, another member of the ill-fated expedition, was flown to Kathmandu aboard a Qatar Airways flight on Thursday, Nepal News reported.
Family members and well-wishers gathered at Tribhuvan International Airport to pay their final respects before his remains were taken in a procession to the Nepal Mountaineering Association secretariat in Naxal. His last rites are scheduled to be held on Friday (today).
Candlelight vigil
A candlelight vigil was held in Aliabad, Hunza, on Wednesday evening to honour Mr Sakhi and the nine other climbers who lost their lives in the Broad Peak avalanche.
Emotional scenes unfolded as relatives, friends and local residents gathered to pay tribute to the veteran Pakistani mountaineer and express their grief over the tragedy.
Speakers at the vigil said Mr Sakhi had made remarkable contributions to promoting mountaineering, adventure tourism and Pakistan’s mountain heritage internationally. They described him as a courageous professional whose dedication, skill and deep love for his homeland would continue to inspire young adventurers and aspiring climbers.
The participants also adopted a resolution urging the Gilgit-Baltistan and federal governments to recognise Mr Sakhi’s legacy through a series of national initiatives.
In a message read out by his brother, Tufail Shahzad, Mr Sakhi’s family expressed gratitude to all the individuals and institutions involved in the search and recovery operation. The message said Mr Sakhi had “met his Creator amidst the same great mountains that he loved so much”.
Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2026
