Broad Peak’s Seven-Decade Toll: Hazards, Patterns, and a New Avalanche
A seven-decade survey of Broad Peak’s fatalities on the 8,051‑meter Karakoram peak (Pakistan‑China border) shows a steady, varied toll across avalanches, falls, exhaustion/altitude illness, disappearances, and other hazards. Most deaths occur during descent or on the long summit ridge, with avalanches often striking lower/mid sections after storms and dangers like crevasses and seracs near higher camps. The article catalogs notable incidents and places Broad Peak’s risk in historical context with other mass‑fatality disasters, noting the recent avalanche that killed 10 climbers as a grim reminder of the mountain’s persistent hazards.
