Islamabad, Aug. 2: Renowned mountaineer and former British Army soldier Nirmal Purja has been killed in a deadly avalanche on Broad Peak in northern Pakistan, according to his expedition company, Elite Expeditions.
In a statement shared on social media, the company expressed “profound sadness and immense heartbreak” as it confirmed Purja’s death. It also said it had received confirmation that the remaining nine members of the expedition had not survived the avalanche, making it one of the deadliest mountaineering tragedies in recent years.
Pakistani authorities had earlier recovered the bodies of three climbers identified as American Mallory Geis, Oman’s Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, and Nepal’s Pur Bahadur Gurung. Search and recovery efforts have been hampered by harsh weather and the dangerous conditions on Broad Peak.
Purja, a Nepal-born climber celebrated worldwide, rose to international fame in 2019 after scaling all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks in just over six months, setting a record that transformed modern high-altitude mountaineering. His achievements were featured in the acclaimed documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.
Authorities are continuing recovery operations, while tributes from the global mountaineering community have poured in, remembering Purja as one of the greatest climbers of his generation. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the avalanche is ongoing.
