Elite Exped, the guiding company founded by Nirmal Purja, has confirmed that the British-Nepali mountaineer died after an avalanche struck his team on Broad Peak in Pakistan. Ten climbers, spread across four teams, were hit by the avalanche around midday at an altitude of roughly 6,600 metres.
Purja, a former Royal Marines soldier, was leading the expedition. Communication with the group was lost by 9am, and a search and rescue operation began the following morning, hampered by bad weather and the remote location of the Karakoram mountain.
Recoveries and missing climbers
The bodies of three climbers have been recovered: Nadhira Alharthy, the first Omani woman to summit Mount Everest; American climber Sarah Mallory Geis; and Nepali climber Pur Bahadur Gurung. Elite Exped also confirmed that Nima Sherpa, a guide and Purja's trusted climbing partner, did not survive. Still missing are Pakistani alpinist Sohail Sakhi, Chinese climber Wang Zhong, and Nepali guide Kili Pema Sherpa.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan said earlier that two bodies had been recovered, along with the amputated leg of Geis. "Authorities have also reported locating several additional bodies through aerial surveillance; however, official identification can only be confirmed once ground rescue teams safely reach the site," the club said in a statement.
A record-breaking career
Purja became a household name in 2019 by climbing all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre peaks in record time, a feat chronicled in the 2021 Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible. He repeated the achievement without supplemental oxygen in 2024 and had been attempting to do so again this year.
On Monday, Purja wrote on X that Broad Peak was the penultimate mountain he needed to summit to complete the 14 peaks once more. "Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down," he said. "I take zero mountains for granted. Not one. The moment my foot leaves basecamp, it's 100%. Always has been. Always will be."
'Profound sadness'
In a statement on Instagram, Elite Exped said: "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. We have also received confirmation that other members of this expedition sadly did not survive. Today, we mourn not only Nims, but every life lost in this tragedy, including his trusted climbing partners and guides, Pur Bahadur Gurung (Yukta) and Nima Sherpa. 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."
