KATHMANDU: Ground search and rescue teams on Pakistan's Broad Peak are preparing to transport the recovered bodies from their current location to Camp I before attempting helicopter evacuation, according to Mingma David Sherpa.

In a social media update on Sunday, Sherpa, lawmaker and co-owner of Elite Exped, said the ground team planned to move the bodies to Camp I on Sunday and then to Japanese Camp on Monday. If weather and mountain conditions remain favourable, helicopter evacuation will be attempted from Japanese Camp, he said.

Sherpa said the primary objective of the ongoing operation is to recover the bodies of the deceased climbers safely and return them to their families with dignity.

"The safety of the search and rescue team remains our highest priority," he said, adding that every operational decision is being made with rescuers' safety as the foremost consideration.

He also expressed gratitude to the governments of Nepal and Pakistan, the Embassy of Nepal in Islamabad, the Embassy of Pakistan in Kathmandu, the Pakistan Army, the Alpine Club of Pakistan, and the families, friends and well-wishers supporting the operation.

Sherpa appealed for continued public support and prayers for the success and safety of the rescue mission as efforts continue on Broad Peak.

The update comes as recovery operations continue following the avalanche that struck an international expedition on Broad Peak last week, leaving several climbers dead and prompting a large-scale search and recovery mission.