Ten climbers, including record-breaking mountaineer and former British Marine Nirmal 'Nims' Purja, are missing after an avalanche struck Pakistan's Broad Peak, the world's 12th-highest mountain. The group has been uncontactable for several hours since the avalanche hit at approximately noon local time on Thursday, July 30, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan. Broad Peak stands at an elevation of 8,051 metres (26,414 feet) above sea level.
The 10-strong party was being guided up the peak by Purja. Alongside him were 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 the club's leadership was in close communication with government officials to support the search and rescue operation. He said the club was doing everything possible to dispatch helicopters and all available relief resources to the location at the earliest opportunity.
According to Outside Magazine: "Tracking data of the expedition shows a rapid descent that would align with that of an avalanche." Rescue efforts are under way but were not expected to reach the mountain until Friday morning local time. At the time of writing, local time was 5.25am, or 1.25am BST.
Who is Nims Purja?
Purja, who was leading the missing expedition, is a former British special forces soldier and ranks among the world's most accomplished high-altitude mountaineers. He dedicated 16 years to the British military, including a decade with UK Special Forces, and became the first Gurkha to pass the elite SBS selection process.
He gained worldwide recognition by conquering all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre peaks in a record-breaking six months and six days, an achievement featured in the Netflix film 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible. In 2018, he was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II for his exceptional military service in high-risk environments.
The expedition and its aftermath
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, with an oxygenless ascent of Gasherbrum II on July 21. He was also approaching completion of his Hat Trick Campaign to scale all 14 of the 8,000-metre peaks on three separate occasions.
His career has not been without controversy, with allegations of sexual assault during expeditions emerging, as reported by The New York Times.
Project Possible: a record timeline
In 2019, Purja accomplished his "Project Possible", climbing all 14 of the world's independent peaks exceeding 8,000 metres in six months and six days (189 days), shattering the previous record of nearly eight years.
The project began on April 23, 2019, with the summit of Annapurna. The first phase covered six peaks in Nepal and China – Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Kangchenjunga, Mount Everest, Lhotse and Makalu – completed between April 23 and May 24, 2019. That included a historic 48-hour window in which he summited Everest, Lhotse and Makalu consecutively.
The Pakistan phase followed, with Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II, K2 and Broad Peak completed in July and August 2019. The project was completed on October 29, 2019, atop Shisha Pangma in Tibet, China.
