Renowned Mountaineer Nirmal Purja's Body Recovered Days After Deadly Broad Peak Avalanche

The body of renowned British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja has been recovered from Pakistan's Broad Peak, days after he and nine other climbers were swept away by an avalanche, with all 10 confirmed dead.

Purja, 43, widely known as Nims Dai, was leading an expedition on the 8,051-metre (26,414-foot) mountain in Pakistan's Karakoram range when the avalanche struck on Thursday at 9 AM local time at an altitude of 7,000 metres during the team's summit push. His expedition company, Elite Exped, confirmed his death on Saturday, according to AP.

"The world has lost one of mountaineering's greatest climbers," the company said in a statement. "No words can ease the pain of this unimaginable loss."

Rescuers found four bodies and recovered three of them on Friday, with military helicopters resuming the search on Saturday to locate the remaining climbers. GPS coordinates received from the trapped climbers indicated the avalanche pushed the group nearly 1,000 metres downhill. The bodies of those recovered are being transported to Skardu, the main city in Pakistan's northern Gilgit-Baltistan region.

Victims And Recovery

The expedition included climbers from the United States, Oman, Nepal, China and Pakistan. Among the victims were American climber Mallory Geis, Omani climber Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, Nepalese climber Pur Bahadur Gurung and Pakistani high-altitude guide Sohail Sakhi.

Earlier on Saturday, local police official Tahir Khan said the remains of Omani climber Al Harthy were being flown to Islamabad, while the bodies of Geis and Gurung remained at a hospital in Skardu, according to the AP report.

A Record-Breaking Climber

Purja, a former British Army soldier who served in Britain's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Royal Marines' Special Boat Service, gained international fame for climbing the world's 14 highest peaks in a record 189 days in 2019, an achievement featured in the Netflix documentary "14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible." His record was broken in 2023. He also participated in the first successful winter ascent of K2 alongside nine other Nepali climbers in 2021.

His company described him as "a leader who inspired millions through his courage, humility and unwavering belief that human potential is far greater than we often imagine.”

Nepal's Tourism Minister Khadak Prasad Paudel confirmed the government was actively monitoring the situation. "Deeply concerned by the reports of an avalanche and the loss of contact with Nirmal Purja 'Nims Dai' and fellow Nepali climbers in Pakistan," Paudel said in a social media post on Friday. "We are in regular contact with the Pakistani authorities and receiving updates on the situation."

Dangers Of The Karakoram

Accidents are common on climbing expeditions in northern Pakistan because of avalanches, falling ice and rock, high altitude and rapidly changing weather. The Karakoram range, home to some of the world's highest peaks including K2, Gasherbrum – I and II and the Broad Peak, is known for its challenging conditions and high fatality rate among climbers.

Irfan Arshad Khan, the president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, said: "The loss of these courageous climbers, who came from different nations united by their passion for the mountains, is an immeasurable loss to the global mountaineering fraternity."

"The mountains inspire us with their beauty, but they also remind us of the immense risks faced by those who venture into the high Himalaya and Karakoram," he added.

Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Amjad Hussain Advocate directed relevant departments to remain on high alert and coordinate with the Pakistan Army to accelerate the response.