ISLAMABAD: Renowned Nepali-born mountaineer Nirmal Purja, who transformed high-altitude climbing by scaling the world’s 14 highest peaks in record time, died after an avalanche struck Broad Peak in Karakoram range, his expedition company confirmed on Saturday.
“Today it is with profound sadness and immense heartbreak that we confirm that Nirmal ‘Nimsdai’ Purja tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak,” expedition organiser Elite Exped said in a statement posted on Instagram.
Purja, 43, a former Gurkha who served with Britain’s Special Forces, rose to international prominence in 2019 after climbing all 14 mountains above 8,000 metres in a record six months and six days.
His achievement was later chronicled in the 2021 Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.
In 2021, he also made history by completing the first winter ascent of K2 alongside a team of nine fellow Nepali climbers.
Just days before the tragedy, Purja wrote on X that he was attempting to become the first climber to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks twice without supplementary oxygen.
“Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down,” he wrote. “I take zero mountains for granted. Not one. The moment my foot leaves base camp, it’s 100pc. Always has been. Always will be.
“My purpose has never been about me. It’s about what I represent. It’s about showing you that your own mountains, whatever they are, are climbable.”
The confirmation of Purja’s death came as search and rescue operations resumed on Saturday for seven climbers who remained missing after the avalanche struck a 10-member international expedition on Thursday.
The search was suspended overnight on Friday before rescue personnel, high-altitude porters and military assets resumed operations at first light, according to the Gilgit-Baltistan police.
The avalanche hit the expedition while climbers were ascending from Camp 2 to Camp 3 on Broad Peak, one of Pakistan’s most technically demanding 8,000-metre mountains.
Three bodies were recovered on Friday and identified as Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy of Oman, Sarah Mallory of the United States and
Pur Bahadur Gurung of Nepal.
Officials said the body of the Omani climber was flown from Skardu to Islamabad on Friday, while the body of the Nepali climber remained in Skardu.
The Pakistan Army deployed helicopters, rescue personnel and specialised equipment to support the operation, while a civilian rescue team led by noted Pakistani mountaineer Sirbaz Khan continued ground efforts in the hazardous terrain.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan said the expedition comprised 10 climbers, including five Nepalis, a Pakistani, an Omani, an American, a Chinese national and two British climbers.
However, Gilgit-Baltistan Police said the missing team included two British nationals, a man and a woman, but made no mention of an American climber.
Drone footage has indicated the possibility of additional casualties, although persistent snowfall and adverse weather have severely hampered rescue efforts. Authorities said the search would continue as conditions allowed.
Alpine Club secretary Ayaz Khan Shigri said rescuers using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology had traced the locations of four climbers but cautioned against speculation.
Broad Peak (8,047 metres), located in the Karakoram range near K2, is regarded as one of the most challenging and technically demanding of the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000 metres, which was first summited in 1957 by an Austrian expedition.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026