Broad Peak avalanche: Bodies of five foreign climbers arrive in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: An AirBlue flight, PA 703, carrying the bodies of foreign mountaineers killed in an avalanche on Broad Peak arrived at Islamabad Airport on Friday, with the bodies now being offloaded from the aircraft.

Deputy Chief Airport Security Officer of the Airport Security Force (ASF), Muhammad Rasheed, was present on site overseeing all arrangements related to the transfer of the bodies.

The flight had departed from Skardu carrying the remains, after arrangements were completed to transport the bodies of foreign climbers from Skardu to Islamabad. All necessary arrangements at Islamabad Airport had also been finalised ahead of the flight’s arrival.

Last week 10 mountaineers went missing after an avalanche struck Broad Peak. Officials had earlier confirmed that the bodies of seven foreign climbers were being transported from Skardu to Islamabad.

Broad Peak avalanche tragedy

A major search and rescue operation was carried out after an avalanche struck Broad Peak in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Shigar district, leaving a 10-member international climbing expedition missing.

The avalanche hit while climbers were moving from Camp II to Camp III. The expedition, led by Nepali mountaineer Nims Dai, included climbers from Pakistan, Nepal, Oman, the US, China and other countries, among them Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi.

Rescue efforts continued despite difficult terrain and weather, involving Pakistan Army helicopters, high-altitude porters, volunteers and experienced mountaineers. Rescue 1122, police and health department teams had been placed on high alert.