In brief
Renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja lost his life during an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak, killing all ten members of the multinational expedition. The tragedy came days after his record of summiting the world’s 14 highest peaks in six months was celebrated worldwide. News of the disaster broke through Elite Expeditions’ social media channel, while Pakistani officials and Nepal’s Prime Minister confirmed the losses. Broad Peak, an 8,047‑metre peak in the Karakoram, is notorious for its perilous climbs. The incident underscores the risks faced by high‑altitude climbers.
Nirmal Purja, famed mountaineer and former British Army soldier, died in a deadly avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak, killing all ten members of his expedition.
Elite Expeditions, the firm that organised the climb, posted the news on social media, describing the loss as one of “profound sadness and immense heartbreak.” They also confirmed that the other nine climbers perished.
Pakistani officials had earlier recovered bodies of three climbers—American Mallory Geis, Omani Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy and Nepali Pur Bahadur Gurung—from the 8,047‑metre peak. Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah later confirmed the death of six Nepalese and four other foreign climbers, including Purja.
Purja gained worldwide attention after a 2021 Netflix documentary, "14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible," showcased his journey of scaling all 14 of the world’s highest mountains within six months.
The avalanche struck Broad Peak on Thursday. The mountain, first ascended in 1957 by an Austrian expedition, has a long history of danger, with dozens of climbers lost over the years. The 2013 climb alone saw six fatalities.
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