Renowned British mountaineer and former special forces soldier Nirmal Purja has been confirmed dead after an avalanche struck an expedition on Broad Peak in northern Pakistan.
Purja, popularly known as “Nims,” was leading a team of 10 climbers on the 8,051-metre mountain when the avalanche occurred around midday on Thursday. Pakistani rescue authorities and the Alpine Club of Pakistan later confirmed that none of the team members survived the disaster.
Elite Exped, the expedition company Purja co-founded, announced his death in a statement, expressing deep sorrow over the tragedy. The company also confirmed the deaths of other members of the expedition, including experienced Nepali climbers Pur Bahadur Gurung, known as Yukta, and Nima Sherpa.
Rescue teams had launched a search operation after the avalanche and initially recovered four bodies. Among those identified were Nadhira Al Harthy from Oman and Pur Bahadur Gurung from Nepal.
Purja, 43, was widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest high-altitude climbers. A former member of the British Army and Royal Marines, he earned global recognition in 2019 after climbing all 14 of the world’s peaks above 8,000 metres in just over six months, setting a record at the time.
His achievement was later documented in the Netflix film 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, which chronicled his ambitious quest to conquer the world’s highest mountains, including Everest, K2 and Annapurna, within a single climbing season.
Although his speed record was later surpassed by Norwegian climber Kristin Harila, Purja remained celebrated for pushing the limits of high-altitude mountaineering and inspiring climbers worldwide.
The deaths of Purja and his teammates have drawn tributes from across the international climbing community, with condolences extended to their families and loved ones as they mourn the loss.
