Renowned Mountaineer Nirmal Purja Among 10 Climbers Killed in Broad Peak Avalanche

Nirmal Purja, the 43-year-old mountaineer featured in Netflix’s 2021 documentary “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible,” was among 10 climbers confirmed dead following an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak on Thursday. The 26,414-foot summit ranks as the world’s 12th-tallest mountain and sits in the Karakoram mountain range. Elite Exped, the expedition company, released a statement mourning the loss, calling Purja “one of mountaineering’s greatest climbers.”

Purja, who held British-Nepali citizenship, was leading the climbing party when the avalanche struck. A Pakistani rescue team recovered three bodies on Friday, including American climber Sarah Mallory Geis, before weather conditions forced a temporary halt to operations in the remote terrain. Recovery efforts resumed Saturday as rescuers worked to locate the remaining seven victims from Pakistan, Nepal, and China.

The British-Nepali mountaineer served for years in the British military, including with the Gurkhas—Nepali soldiers enlisted to serve with United Kingdom forces—and later with British special forces. Defense Minister Wes Streeting described Purja as an “inspirational man” whose mountaineering accomplishments gained worldwide recognition.

Irfan Arshad Khan, president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, expressed condolences for the international climbing community, emphasizing the extreme dangers inherent in high-altitude expeditions in the Himalaya and Karakoram regions. He acknowledged the military, Sherpa guides, and civilian volunteers who participated in the rescue operation.