Nirmal Purja was killed while leading an expedition of 10 other climbers on Broad Peak, the world's 12th-highest mountain, when an avalanche hit at around noon on Thursday. Elite Exped, the company he co-founded, said in a statement: "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."
The company added: "We have also received confirmation that other members of the expedition sadly did not survive," without giving further details.
Record-breaking climber
Purja made history in 2019 after climbing all 14 of the world's peaks over 8,000 metres in just over six months. He later led the first team to summit K2, the world's second-highest mountain, in winter.
In a 2019 interview with the Guardian, the former Gurkha and UK Special Forces member said: "Records are made to be broken. Someone one day will come along and be stronger. People are only limited by their imagination. If you don't dream, then you won't do it. Human beings are capable of doing amazing things."
Expedition members
The expedition included five Nepali climbers, as well as US, Pakistani, Omani and Chinese nationals, and another foreign climber, said Karrar Haidri, vice-president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan. Elite Exped also confirmed the deaths of two other expedition members: climbing partners and guides Pur Bahadur Gurung (Yukta), a Nepali citizen, and Nima Sherpa.
The Elite Exped statement continued: "Our deepest thoughts, prayers and heartfelt condolences are with their families, friends and loved ones. No words can erase the pain of this unimaginable loss, and we ask that everyone respects their privacy as they grieve."
Avalanche details
On Friday, rescuers said four bodies had been found and efforts were under way to retrieve them despite harsh weather. Among the victims were Nadhira Alharthy, the first Omani to climb Everest, and US climber Mallory Geis.
Trackers carried by the climbers showed a rapid loss of altitude, suggesting the team had been caught in an avalanche. Purja's tracker shifted location after the initial rapid descent. The GPS data suggested the avalanche occurred close to 9am local time at 6,579 metres (21,585ft), between camps two and three on the west ridge of the 8,047-metre mountain, the most popular ascent route.
Tributes and legacy
The British adventurer Bear Grylls said the news of Purja's death was "heartbreaking for so many climbers around the world who had a relationship with this remarkable and unique man". In the 2023 documentary Finding Michael, Purja and Grylls were enlisted to recover the body of Michael Matthews, the youngest Briton to climb Everest, who disappeared on the mountain in 1999.
Purja was a former Gurkha and served in the British military for 16 years, 10 of them in the special forces. In 2018, he was awarded an MBE by the queen for his achievement in extreme high-altitude mountaineering. He also drew plaudits for twice risking his life to help others: once while descending from Annapurna, when he led a rescue of fellow climber Chin Wui Kin, who had been separated from an accompanying expedition and left without food, water or oxygen for 40 hours; Chin Wui Kin later died in hospital. Less than a month later, Purja and his team rescued two climbers from a height of 8,400 metres, sacrificing their own supplementary oxygen to the climbers in need.
He previously told the Guardian: "For me it's not about ego. It's about principles. You can't call yourself a climber and not help in that situation."
