Pakistan avalanche victims mourned as three Nepali climbers return home
Relatives gathered at Kathmandu airport after the bodies of three Nepali climbers killed on Broad Peak arrived from Pakistan.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
2 min read
Relatives mourned three Nepali climbers killed in the Pakistan avalanche on Broad Peak as their bodies arrived at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Al Jazeera reported on August 11. The return brought the disaster from Pakistan’s mountains to grieving families in Nepal days after the fatal slide.
Al Jazeera identified the climbers as Kili Pemba Sherpa, Gyalu Sherpa and Nima Sherpa. Its report said all three died in the avalanche on Broad Peak and that their recovered remains were flown to Kathmandu.
Who were the Nepalese climbers mourned after the Pakistan avalanche?
The mourners at Kathmandu airport were paying tribute to Kili Pemba Sherpa, Gyalu Sherpa and Nima Sherpa, according to Al Jazeera. The report did not give further details about their roles on the expedition or the arrangements following the airport gathering.
The airport event was a later development in a wider tragedy. An Associated Press report published August 2 said an avalanche had swept away a 10-member expedition on Broad Peak the previous Thursday. Purja’s expedition company said all 10 climbers had been confirmed dead, the AP reported.
That earlier report said search teams were working in harsh weather, which disrupted helicopter flights. Rescuers had located four bodies and recovered three by the preceding Friday, according to the AP’s dated account; those figures described the recovery effort at that point and were not a final tally.
What was known about the Broad Peak recovery effort?
Recovery conditions on the mountain were difficult. AFP, in a report republished by Yahoo, said a ground team was transporting four bodies down from Broad Peak in a report published after the avalanche, while operations continued in treacherous conditions.
The AFP report also said hundreds of people attended a candlelight vigil in Kathmandu for the 10 climbers. Buddhist monks prayed, and mourners lit candles and incense, it reported. The gatherings in Kathmandu reflected the losses suffered in the avalanche, while the separate reports documented different stages of the recovery.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.