Broad Peak Avalanche: Nirmal Purja Among Climbers Missing After Deadly Disaster In PoK

Acclaimed mountaineer Nirmal "Nims" Purja, whose record-shattering ascents made him a global climbing icon and Netflix documentary star, is among ten climbers still unaccounted for after a massive avalanche tore through Broad Peak in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Four bodies have been recovered so far, while search teams race against worsening weather and dwindling hope to reach the remaining climbers buried somewhere on one of the world's most unforgiving mountains.

What Happened On Broad Peak

The avalanche struck Broad Peak, the world's 12th-highest mountain at 8,047 metres, in the Karakoram range of PoK's Gilgit-Baltistan region. According to climbers' GPS tracks, the avalanche occurred between 8:57 AM and 9:30 AM local time on Thursday, July 30, at about 6,579 metres, between Camp II and Camp III of the standard West Ridge route.

Ten climbers were swept away just as a large group was making its way toward the summit. The avalanche carried them down the mountain's main west-facing gully, in some cases up to a vertical mile. Trackers showed a chilling pattern of falls: American climber Mallory Geis's tracker showed a sudden descent of 543 metres, while Omani climber Nadhira Al Harthy's tracker showed a much larger drop of 1,651 metres.

Notably, word of the disaster took hours to reach the outside world. Despite the avalanche striking around 9:20 AM, no alarm was raised until nearly 13 hours later that night—a delay that meant helicopters could not reach the site before dark on the first day. Naila Kiani of the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) described the club as "shocked" by the lost window.

Who Is Missing

The expedition included Purja, Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi, five other Nepali guides, and three clients from China, Oman, and the United States. Nepal's Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation named the missing as expedition leader Nirmal Purja, along with Pur Bahadur Gurung, Kili Pemba Sherpa, Nima Sherpa, Nawang Thindu Sherpa and Gyalu Sherpa, plus Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi, Chinese climber Wang Zhong, American climber Mallory Geis, Omani climber Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, and one other foreign climber.

Four separate teams were actually on the mountain that day: Sohail Sakhi guiding American client Mallory Geis, Nirmal Purja leading his own Elite Exped team, an Imagine Nepal team, and a Seven Summit Treks group. Most other expeditions had already abandoned the mountain days earlier over concerns about heavy recent snowfall, but Purja's team and a handful of others stayed on.

Bodies Recovered So Far

By Friday, July 31, rescue crews had confirmed four fatalities. Pakistan Alpine Club president Irfan Arshad Khan said the remains of four climbers had been found by ground teams, with three—American Mallory Geis, Omani climber Nadhira Al Harthy, and Nepali climber Pur Bahadur Gurung, known as "Yukta"—flown by army helicopter to a military hospital. Legal formalities regarding identification of the remains were underway, according to the Gilgit-Baltistan tourism board. The recovered bodies belong to Sarah Mallory from the US, Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy from Oman, and Pur Bahadur Gurung from Nepal.

The most closely watched development has centred on Purja's own satellite tracker. His Garmin device showed a signal update at 6:18 AM Friday, suggesting possible movement, which his business partner and Elite Exped director Mingma David Sherpa said could indicate Purja is alive, conscious and awaiting rescue. The tracker placed him at roughly 5,878.67 metres, with no significant subsequent movement and a battery now running low. Experts have cautioned that GPS fluctuations at extreme altitude are common and must be interpreted carefully.

Rescue Efforts Hampered By Weather

The search-and-rescue mission, led by Sarbaz Khan and coordinated by the Commissioner of the Baltistan Division, was temporarily halted on Friday due to poor weather, with plans to resume once conditions improve. Weather was reported clear Friday morning and expected to hold through the weekend, giving crews a genuine window to press on. Rescue teams, including Pakistani climbers alongside Nepali and Shimshali mountaineers, have continued efforts to reach the remaining missing climbers.

Nepal's government is closely monitoring the situation. Tourism Minister Khadak Prasad Paudel said he was "deeply concerned by the reports of an avalanche and the loss of contact" with Purja and fellow Nepali climbers, adding that Nepal was "in regular contact with the Pakistani authorities and receiving updates."

Who Is Nirmal Purja?

Purja, 43, is a former Gurkha soldier who also served in Britain's Royal Marines Special Boat Service before becoming a full-time expedition guide. He became a global sensation in 2019 after completing "Project Possible"—summiting all 14 of the world's peaks above 8,000 metres in just seven months, smashing a record that had previously stood at nearly eight years. His feat was chronicled in the Netflix documentary "14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible." He also took part in the first successful winter ascent of K2 alongside nine other Nepali climbers in 2021.

Purja had planned to climb Cho Oyu after Broad Peak, aiming to become the first person to climb all 14 "8,000ers" twice, this time without supplemental oxygen. In an Instagram post before the climb, he called Broad Peak a late addition to his expedition and asked the mountain for "safe passage up and back down."

Broad Peak has claimed dozens of lives since it was first summited in 1957. Pakistan's worst modern mountaineering disaster occurred in 2008, when 11 climbers were killed in an avalanche on nearby K2. As search teams continue combing the Karakoram's punishing terrain in PoK, the mountaineering world is watching closely for word on Purja and the others still unaccounted for.

(With inputs from various sources)

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