LINGUAWIRE

Nirmal Purja’s Body Found After Pakistan Avalanche

One story is about a famous climber found after a Pakistan avalanche. The other is about migrants in Ceuta and a big political fight in Europe.

A current English news story adapted for language learners at A1, with audio, transcript, vocabulary and comprehension work.

Welcome to LinguaWire English A1.

Today we have two stories: mountain rescue, Spain's migrant crisis.

For help, see full transcripts and vocabulary at linguawire.com.

Nirmal Purja's body found on Broad Peak

A mountain rescue in Pakistan.

Now we go to Sophie, our LinguaWire correspondent for news.

The body of Nirmal Purja has been found.

That is very sad news.

Where was he found?

He was found on Broad Peak in Pakistan.

Rescuers said he was about 5,700 metres up the mountain.

So this was high on the mountain, not near the base.

Were other climbers found too?

Yes. Officials said three other bodies were seen nearby.

But their names have not been confirmed yet.

So people know they are there, but not who they are.

And what do we know about Purja?

He was a famous climber from Nepal.

He also served in the British Army.

In 2019, he climbed the 14 highest peaks in six months.

That is an amazing record, even for experienced climbers.

How many people were said to have died in the avalanche?

His company said 10 people were killed.

That company announced his death on Saturday.

So the news came in two steps.

First the death was announced, then the body was found.

Yes. The Alpine Club of Pakistan said a ground team will take the bodies to a Japanese camp.

Before that, Pakistani officials said three other bodies were recovered.

That sounds like a very difficult rescue.

Was there a wider reaction to his death?

Yes. The Prince of Wales was among the people paying tribute.

Nepal's prime minister said six Nepalese and four foreign climbers died. He said the country was shocked.

A painful story. High mountains can be very dangerous.

Spain's migrant crisis causes a political storm

Spain's migrant crisis and the political storm around it.

Now we go to Owen, our LinguaWire correspondent for society.

Most migrants who crossed into Ceuta have now returned to Morocco.

So the large group has mostly moved back again.

How did they leave?

Spanish soldiers and police escorted them to the border.

Many had swum into Ceuta from Morocco.

That is a very strong image.

And what happened during the crossing?

Officials said at least 72 people died.

Their bodies were pulled from the sea.

The sea also had abandoned rubber rings and flippers.

That makes the scene feel very real and very sad.

What has this done in Europe?

It has caused a political storm.

It has also shown big differences inside Europe about migration.

So this is not only a border story.

It is also a politics story.

Yes. People are asking what started the sudden wave of arrivals.

Some people think social media posts helped.

They say the posts promised an easy way into Europe.

And is that confirmed?

No, not yet.

Others think it may have been planned more carefully.

So there are still open questions.

How has Spain's leader reacted?

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is angry with some EU people.

He said they were attacking Spain instead of helping.

He said they were playing politics.

That shows how tense the debate has become.

And then the story spread on social media too, right?

Yes. Italy's hard-right party quickly posted images from Ceuta.

Its caption used the crisis to attack Sanchez.

So one border event became a wider online and political fight.

First, three words from story two.

1. border, line between two countries; people were taken there. Example: We waited there one hour.

2. crisis, a very bad problem; the migration crisis caused political trouble. Example: The school had a small water crisis.

3. storm, a strong public fight or reaction; here, strong anger and political debate. Example: The new rule caused a storm online.

Now the grammar point: have been found.

We use have been found when someone was found before now, and it matters now.

Example one: The body has been found on Broad Peak.

Example two: Three other bodies have been seen nearby.

Repeat after me: have been found

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