Nirmal Purja Dies In Broad Peak Avalanche In PoK: Pur Bahadur Gurung, Nima Sherpa Also Confirmed Dead

Nirmal "Nims" Purja, the record-breaking Nepali-born mountaineer whose feats made him a global climbing icon, has died in the avalanche that struck Broad Peak in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) earlier this week. His expedition company, Elite Exped, confirmed on Saturday that Purja's trusted climbing partners Pur Bahadur Gurung "Yukta" and Nima Sherpa also lost their lives in the disaster, bringing the confirmed death toll higher as search teams continued combing the mountain for five others still missing.

Purja's death was confirmed in a statement by Elite Expedition on its social media account on Saturday: "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," the statement said, adding, "We have also received confirmation that other members of the expedition sadly did not survive."

The company also confirmed the deaths of Purja's trusted climbing partners and guides, Pur Bahadur Gurung "Yukta" and Nima Sherpa, saying: "Today, we mourn not only Nims, but every life lost in this tragedy including his trusted climbing partners and guides... Our deepest thoughts, prayers and heartfelt condolences are with their families, friends and loved ones." Elite Exped said it would make no further public comment beyond information confirmed by the relevant authorities, out of respect for the families affected.

Paying tribute, Elite Exped described Purja as one of mountaineering's greatest climbers, saying his courage, humility and unwavering belief in human potential inspired millions across the world. The company added that his vision, leadership and determination helped build Elite Exped, the Nimsdai Foundation, Skydive Nimsdai and the Nimsdai Store.

What Happened On Broad Peak

The avalanche struck a 10-member international expedition on Broad Peak, the 8,047-metre 12th-tallest mountain in the world, around midday on Thursday, July 30, in the Karakoram range within Gilgit-Baltistan. The avalanche hit as climbers were ascending from Camp 2 to Camp 3. Purja was leading his own Elite Exped team when the disaster struck, alongside separate parties led by Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi and other outfits on the mountain that day

Bodies Recovered So Far

Four bodies were located by rescue teams on Friday. Three of them—American climber Mallory Geis, Omani climber Nadhira Al Harthy, and Nepali climber Pur Bahadur Gurung "Yukta"—were recovered from the mountain and taken to a military hospital by an army helicopter, Pakistan Alpine Club president Irfan Arshad Khan said. Drone footage suggested further bodies remained on the mountain, according to the Gilgit-Baltistan tourism board.

The remains of Omani climber Nathira Ahmed were flown to Islamabad, while the bodies of Mallory Geis and Pur Bahadur Gurung remained at a hospital in Skardu, the main city in Gilgit-Baltistan, a local police official said. With Elite Exped's Saturday statement now confirming Purja and Nima Sherpa also died, the disaster's known toll has climbed further, though authorities have yet to issue a formally updated tally accounting for every member of the original team.

How Many Are Still Missing

With Purja, Gurung and Nima Sherpa now confirmed dead, the number still unaccounted for from the original ten-member team is understood to have narrowed to around five: Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi, Chinese climber Wang Zhong, and Nepali climbers Kili Pemba Sherpa, Nawang Thindu Sherpa and Gyalu Sherpa. The Alpine Club of Pakistan had earlier said Sakhi's Garmin tracking device was located amid the avalanche debris, along with Geis's backpack and an unidentified severed leg.

Who Was Nirmal Purja

Purja was a Nepal-born former special forces soldier who stunned the mountaineering world by summiting all 14 of the planet's 8,000-metre peaks in six months. He was a former member of Britain's Brigade of Gurkhas and later served with the Royal Marines' elite Special Boat Service before becoming a full-time mountaineer and expedition guide.

In his 2019 "Project Possible" campaign, he broke South Korean climber Kim Chang-ho's previous record of seven years, ten months and six days, and eclipsed Polish climbing legend Jerzy Kukuczka, who had first completed all 14 eight-thousanders in 1987 after nearly eight years. Purja's own record proved short-lived: on July 27, 2023, Norwegian climber Kristin Harila and her Nepali climbing partner Tenjen (Lama) Sherpa completed all 14 peaks in just 92 days. His story became widely known through a Netflix documentary that introduced him to audiences well beyond the climbing world.

Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah expressed grief on social media, writing that the loss of Purja and the other climbers had left the nation shocked. "The tragic death of six Nepalese and four other foreign climbers, including world record holder Nirmal Purja, in the Karakoram mountain range of Pakistan, has shocked us," Shah wrote, adding, "The history of their courage, dedication, and contributions will always remain inspiring." In a separate post on Facebook, he reflected on the risks inherent to the profession that defined Purja's life: "Mountains give many climbers the glory of reaching their summits, but sometimes they also embrace them forever. Yet mountaineers, through their courage and dedication, remain immortal in history." Shah added that "only the physical journey of all the deceased climbers, including Nirmal Purja, has been stopped," but that their legacy would continue to inspire generations to come.

Broad Peak is considered slightly less technically difficult than its notorious neighbour K2, but it is prone to harsh and unpredictable weather. In 2013, three Iranian climbers died on the descent after summiting Broad Peak, and Pakistan's worst modern mountaineering disaster occurred in 2008, when 11 climbers were killed in an avalanche on K2. As of 2018, 406 climbers had reached Broad Peak's summit while 34 had died on the mountain, with causes ranging from falls and avalanches to altitude sickness and exposure.

As search teams continue working through the Karakoram's unforgiving terrain, authorities in Pakistan and Nepal are expected to issue a fuller, formally confirmed accounting of the dead and missing in the coming days.

(With inputs from various sources)

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