Nirmal Purja, one of the team member of the all-Nepalese mountaineering team that became the first to scale Mount K2 in winter, gestures as the team arrives at Tribhuwan International airport in Kathmandu, Nepal. File
| Photo Credit: AP
British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja and his 10-member international team are missing following a significant avalanche on Pakistan’s 8,047-metre Broad Peak. The group, last located at 6,600 metres, lost communication on Thursday (July 30, 2026), and an ongoing rescue effort involving the Pakistani Army and the Alpine Club of Pakistan is underway.
While four bodies have been recovered, the search continues for the team, which included experienced climbers from Pakistan, Oman, China and the United States.
Who is Nirmal Purja?
Born in Nepal, Purja became famous for his incredible feat of summiting all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters in just over six months under his 2019 “Project Possible” expedition. The 43-year-old had climbed Annapurna, the 10th-highest mountain, on April 23, 2019, which kicked off his mission to climb all of the world’s highest peaks.
In 2021, he was part of the team of 10 Nepali climbers that made the first successful winter ascent of K2, the world’s second-highest peak.
Purja served in Britain’s Brigade of Gurkhas and later with the Royal Marines’ Special Boat Squadron before transitioning to a career as a full-time mountaineer and guide. His accomplishments were featured in a 2021 Netflix documentary, which inspired a new generation of climbers.
He also served as an extreme cold-weather warfare specialist in the elite special forces.
What happened at Broad Peak in Pakistan?
According to information received by the Nepali Embassy in Islamabad, Purja was leading an expedition team to the 8,047-metre Broad Peak, Pakistan. The team included Pur Bahadur Gurung “Yukta”, Kili Pemba Sherpa “Kilu”, Nima Sherpa, Nawang Thindu Sherpa and Gyalu Sherpa.
The expedition also had Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy of Oman, Sohail Sakhi of Pakistan, Wang Zhong of China and Mallory Geis of the United States.
The Broad Peak, the world’s 12th-highest mountain, situated in the Karakoram mountain range, was struck by an avalanche around midday Thursday. Four bodies were recovered on Friday (July 31) as search operations continue for six other climbers, including Purja.
Major General Irfan Arshad, President of the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP), announced that four bodies have been recovered. He identified two of the deceased as Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy from Oman and Pur Bahadur Gurung from Nepal, while the identities of the other two bodies have not yet been officially confirmed.
The Nepali Ministry said it had received assurances from Pakistani authorities that they would “mobilize all available resources for timely search and rescue operations.”
Published – July 31, 2026 04:47 pm IST
