Pakistan: Celebrated climber Nirmal Purja and nine other mountaineers have been confirmed dead following an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak, his expedition company announced on Saturday. The confirmation came after rescuers discovered four bodies while searching for the 10-member expedition team.
According to Deutsche Welle, the tragic news was shared by Purja’s company, Elite Expeditions, which posted on social media, expressing profound sadness and heartbreak over the loss of Nirmal Purja and the other expedition members. The climbers had been missing since Thursday, when an avalanche struck their group at approximately 6,600 meters (21,650 feet) on Broad Peak, believed to have swept them away.
Two helicopters from the Pakistan Army Aviation were deployed on Friday, along with an experienced ground team, to the last known location of the group. Security sources in Pakistan reported that four bodies were located that day, though they had not yet been recovered. Rescue operations continued in search of t
he remaining members until the deaths of all 10 climbers were confirmed on Saturday.
The ill-fated expedition comprised Purja and five other Nepalese climbers, including several Sherpa guides, and mountaineers from four other countries: Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi, Omani climber Nathira Ahmed, US climber Mallory Geis, and China’s Wang Zhong.
Nirmal Purja, also known as Nims Dai, was a British-Nepali mountaineer renowned for his high-altitude climbing achievements. At 43, he had previously served with Britain’s Brigade of Gurkhas and the elite Special Boat Service. He gained international recognition in 2019 by climbing all 14 of the world’s mountains above 8,000 meters in just over six months, far surpassing the previous record of nearly eight years. His achievements were highlighted in the 2021 Netflix documentary “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.” In 2021, Purja was also part of the first team to complete a winter ascent of K2.
Broad Peak, located in Pakistan’s Karakoram range close to the China borde
r, stands just over 8,000 meters tall and is the world’s 12th-highest mountain. Known for its wide summit ridge, the region presents significant challenges to climbers due to avalanches and rapidly changing weather conditions, attracting climbers from around the world despite the inherent dangers.