Candlelight Vigil Held in Kathmandu for 10 Climbers Killed in Broad Peak Avalanche

Dragon Media Correspondent

A candlelight vigil was held in Kathmandu in memory of 10 mountaineers who lost their lives in an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak.

Participants gathered at Maitighar Mandala on Tuesday evening, lit candles and paid tribute to the deceased climbers. They also expressed condolences to the bereaved families and remembered the mountaineers’ contributions to the climbing community.

The 10-member international expedition team was caught in an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region on Thursday.

The Nepalese climbers who lost their lives were Nirmal Purja, Purbahadur Gurung, Nima Sherpa, Kili Pemba Sherpa, Gyalu Sherpa and Nawang Thindu Sherpa.

The other victims were Sohail Sakhi of Pakistan, Wang Zhong of China, Nadira Ahmed of Oman and Mallory Geiss of the United States.

The team, led by Nirmal Purja, was reportedly caught in the avalanche while climbing between Camp II and Camp III. Broad Peak, standing above 8,000 metres, is the world’s 12th-highest mountain.

Difficult weather and challenging terrain have complicated the search and recovery operation.

Participants in the Kathmandu vigil described the tragedy as an irreparable loss to the global mountaineering community. They noted that mountaineering represents not only individual courage and achievement but also friendship, cooperation and shared human endeavour across nations.