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Search teams recover body of American climber following fatal avalanche on Broad Peak

Search and rescue teams in northern Pakistan have recovered the body of 39-year-old American mountaineer Mallory Geis following a massive avalanche on Broad Peak, the world’s 12th-highest mountain.

The disaster struck a 10-member international expedition led by renowned British-Nepali climber Nirmal “Nims Dai” Purja at an altitude of approximately 7,000 metres in the Karakoram range.

Pakistani military helicopters and ground units deployed to the site have secured the remains of three victims so far, including Geis, Omani climber Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, and Nepali guide Pur Bahadur Gurung.

The Alpine Club of Pakistan confirmed that bad weather and hazardous high-altitude conditions have severely complicated ongoing search efforts for the remaining missing team members.

Aerial drone footage spotted several other expedition members swept nearly 1,000 metres downhill by the slide, though ground teams have yet to reach them due to the extreme terrain.

Local authorities in Gilgit-Baltistan stated that recovered victims were transported to regional medical facilities for official identification procedures, while military helicopters remain on standby for further retrieval operations as weather permits.

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