Four bodies have been recovered on Broad Peak after an avalanche swept through a team of climbers on or around July 30, 2026, leaving ten people missing on the world's 12th-highest mountain. Reuters, citing Pakistani sources, reported the recovery of four bodies on July 31, updating an earlier figure of two confirmed by Pakistan's Dawn newspaper as the search operation was still underway.

The missing climbers include Nirmal Purja, the British-Nepali mountaineer whose high-altitude exploits have made him one of the most recognized figures in contemporary alpinism. The Alpine Club of Pakistan received initial reports that the avalanche struck a team led by Purja, according to the Manila Bulletin's sports desk. The Alpine Club separately confirmed that Purja was feared missing following the avalanche on Broad Peak.

The avalanche is suspected to have occurred on approximately July 30, Reuters reported, describing the event as taking place "a day earlier" than its July 31 dispatch. The avalanche struck around midday, according to Dawn. Among the missing is a climber identified as Sohail Sakhi. Another member of the affected group, Sadpara, was described by the Alpine Club of Pakistan as a courageous mountaineer known for his dedication to rescue missions. Nepali climber Prakash Gurung, part of Elite Exped's guide team for the 2026 season, was also among those on the mountain, according to Climbing magazine.

A search and rescue operation was underway on July 31 to locate the ten missing climbers. Pakistan's government broadcaster, Radio Pakistan, published a report on the operation the same day. The effort involved coordination between Pakistani authorities and mountaineering organizations on the ground.

Broad Peak, at 8,051 meters (about 26,400 feet), straddles the Karakoram range on the Pakistan-China border. It is the world's 12th-highest mountain. The peak is a frequent objective for high-altitude mountaineers during the summer climbing season, when weather windows — brief periods of stable conditions — open and multiple teams attempt summit pushes in close succession.

Purja's presence on Broad Peak places him in the Karakoram during the narrow seasonal window when conditions are most favorable for 8,000-meter attempts. His organization, known as "Nimsdai," supports mountain communities in Nepal, according to CNN. The Alpine Club of Pakistan's characterization of Sadpara as a climber dedicated to rescue missions suggests that at least some members of the affected group had experience with high-altitude recovery operations, a factor that may have shaped the initial response to the avalanche.

The evolving body count, from two recovered as Dawn reported to four located per Reuters, indicates that the search operation was actively progressing through July 31 and that the situation on the mountain remained fluid. Reuters attributed its reporting to Pakistani sources, while Dawn and Radio Pakistan provided domestic confirmation of the search effort.

The broader context here is that the Karakoram has a long record of high-altitude fatalities during the summer season. Serac collapse — when large blocks of glacial ice break off — and slab avalanche risk (a type of avalanche where a cohesive plate of snow slides as a single unit over a weaker layer beneath) remain persistent hazards on peaks above 8,000 meters. The timing of the avalanche, around midday in late July, falls within the conventional summit-window period, when teams push for the top in compressed weather intervals.

With six climbers still unaccounted for as of the most recent reporting, the search operation on Broad Peak remains active. The identity of the four recovered bodies has not been specified in the available reporting.