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Renowned mountaineer and former British Army soldier Nirmal Purja has been confirmed among the 10 climbers who lost their lives in a devastating avalanche on Broad Peak in northern Pakistan.
The tragic news was announced by Purja’s expedition company, Elite Expeditions, which expressed its “profound sadness and immense heartbreak” while confirming the deaths of all members of the climbing team involved in the accident.
Purja, 43, was a globally celebrated Nepali-born climber who gained international recognition after successfully scaling all 14 of the world’s highest mountains in just over six months in 2019, a feat that set a new benchmark in high-altitude mountaineering.
Pakistani rescue teams had been searching for the missing climbers following the avalanche, which struck Broad Peak, an 8,047-meter (26,400-foot) mountain in the Karakoram range, on Thursday. Authorities earlier confirmed the recovery of the bodies of American climber Mallory Geis, Omani national Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, and Nepali climber Pur Bahadur Gurung.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah also confirmed Purja’s death, expressing shock over the loss of six Nepalese climbers and four foreign nationals in the disaster. He paid tribute to the victims, saying their courage, dedication, and contributions would continue to inspire future generations.
Purja’s achievements brought him worldwide fame, further amplified by the 2021 Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, which chronicled his record-breaking journey to summit the world’s highest mountains.
The multinational expedition was being led by Purja, who served in the British Army after joining in 2003 and later became a member of the Special Boat Service (SBS), the Royal Navy’s elite special forces unit, in 2009.
Broad Peak, the world’s 12th-highest mountain, is considered one of the most challenging climbs in the Himalaya-Karakoram region. Although the first successful ascent was achieved by an Austrian expedition in 1957, the mountain has claimed numerous lives over the decades. One of its deadliest years was 2013, when at least six climbers died during the climbing season.
The latest tragedy has sent shockwaves through the global mountaineering community, with tributes pouring in for Purja and the other climbers who lost their lives while pursuing one of the world’s most demanding adventures.
