An avalanche has left 10 climbers missing on Broad Peak in Pakistan, the world's 12th-highest mountain. The group was on an expedition led by record-breaking mountaineer and former British special forces soldier Nirmal "Nims" Purja.
The party lost contact several hours after the avalanche struck at around noon local time on Thursday, July 30, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan.
Who is in the missing group
Alongside Purja, the 10-strong climbing party included five Nepalese climbers, Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi, Omani climber Nadhira, American mountaineer Mallory Geis, a Chinese climber identified only as Mr Wang, and one further climber whose nationality remains unknown.
Rescue operation under way
Alpine Club of Pakistan president Major General Irfan Arshad confirmed that club leaders were in close communication with government officials to support the ongoing search-and-rescue effort. Arshad added that the club was doing everything possible to dispatch helicopters and all available relief resources to the area at the earliest opportunity.
Outside Magazine reported: "Tracking data of the expedition shows a rapid descent that would align with that of an avalanche."
Rescue efforts are under way but are not expected to reach the mountain until Friday morning local time. At the time of writing, the local time was 5.25am, or 1.25am BST.
Purja's mountaineering career
Broad Peak stands 8,051 metres (26,414 feet) above sea level and is widely regarded as one of the most challenging summits attempted by mountaineers. Purja, who was leading the now-missing 10-person expedition, is a former British Marine and one of the world's most accomplished high-altitude mountaineers. In 2018, he was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II for his exceptional military service in high-risk environments.
Purja and his company Elite Exped were at the helm of the 10-person expedition when the avalanche struck.
According to the Everest Chronicle, the avalanche occurred just days after Purja completed his 57th successful ascent of an 8,000-metre peak, having scaled Gasherbrum II without oxygen on July 21. He was also closing in on completing his Hat Trick Campaign to climb all 14 of the 8,000-metre peaks three times over.
His career has not been without controversy: sexual assault allegations during expeditions have been reported by The New York Times.
Project Possible and the 2019 record
In 2019, Purja achieved his famous "Project Possible," conquering all 14 of the planet's independent summits above 8,000 metres in six months and six days (189 days), shattering the previous record of nearly eight years.
Project Possible timeline:
- Start date: April 23, 2019, with the summit of Annapurna.
- Phase 1 (the first six peaks in Nepal and China): Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Kangchenjunga, Mount Everest, Lhotse and Makalu, completed between April 23 and May 24, 2019.
- The 48-hour record: Mount Everest, Lhotse and Makalu were summited consecutively within a 48-hour window.
- Phase 2 (the Pakistan peaks): Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II, K2 and Broad Peak, completed in July and August 2019.
- Completion date: October 29, 2019, atop Shisha Pangma in Tibet, China.
