Mountaineer Nirmal Purja and team perish in Pakistan avalanche

SKARDU — Renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja and his nine climbing companions were killed by an avalanche in Pakistan during an ascent of one of the world's highest mountains, his expedition company said on Saturday, as rescuers tackled treacherous conditions to recover their bodies.

The avalanche struck on Thursday, cutting off contact with the international expedition led by Purja, a 43-year-old British-Nepali climber, on Broad Peak in northern Pakistan.

“It is with profound sadness and immense heartbreak that we confirm that Nirmal Purja tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak,” Purja’s company Elite Expeditions said on social media.

“We have also received confirmation that other members of the expedition sadly did not survive,” it said.

The remains recovered so far — flown by helicopter to hospital for formal identification — included an American woman, an Omani woman and a Nepali man, the regional government said in a statement released on Friday night.

Who was Nirmal Purja?

Purja, who served with Britain’s Brigade of Gurkhas before joining the Special Boat Squadron of the Royal Marines, broke multiple climbing records since becoming a full-time mountaineer and tour guide. He had climbed all 14 “eight-thousanders” (peaks above 8,000 meters) in six months and six days between April and October 2019 — then a record.

Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah offered his condolences over the deaths of Purja and the other climbers, which he said “has shocked us.”

“The physical journey of all the deceased climbers… has been interrupted, but the history of their courage, dedication, and contributions will always remain inspiring,” Shah said in a statement on social media.

Rana Sanaullah, the Pakistani prime minister’s advisor for provincial coordination, said four bodies had been recovered so far and the search was continuing on Saturday despite adverse weather.

“The Broad Peak tragedy is deeply heartbreaking. Pakistan stands in solidarity with the people of Nepal in this time of grief,” he said in a statement.

What happened on Broad Peak?

The avalanche struck while the mountaineers were attempting to summit Broad Peak (8,047 meters, or 26,400 feet) on Thursday at an altitude of around 6,600 meters, according to regional authorities. The expedition comprised 10 people — Purja, five Nepalis, a Pakistani, an Omani, an American and a climber from China.

The team was last in contact on Thursday morning, with reports emerging that evening of the powerful avalanche. “Data from their tracking devices indicates that they were thrown hundreds of meters down the mountainside,” Naila Kiani, from Pakistan’s Alpine Club, told Le Monde newspaper.

Fida Ali, a climber in the area who worked closely with Purja since 2023, told AFP their focus for the climbing season was summiting Broad Peak but they had first tackled another mountain, G2, in harsh weather. Ali also joined the expedition to Broad Peak in its initial stages but returned early to accompany a Russian climber who was feeling the effects of exhaustion, narrowly avoiding the fatal avalanche.

“I wanted to go with him (Purja) but couldn’t and came back with her. I was part of the team but survived,” he told AFP.

How did the mountaineering community react?

The disaster prompted an outpouring of grief within Nepal and from the wider mountaineering community. Italian great Reinhold Messner, who made the first solo ascent of Everest, paid tribute to Purja, saying his thoughts were with his friends and family.

“Nirmal chose his own path with courage and passion. What remains is not only the sorrow of his passing but the memory of a life truly lived,” he said in a post on Instagram.

Tul Singh Gurung, president of the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association, said Purja’s death was a big loss. “He showed Nepalis that climbing doesn’t have to be just work, that you can climb for your own fun and passion,” he told AFP.

Purja had written on X this week that he was close to becoming the first person to climb all 14 “super peaks” twice without oxygen. “Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down,” he wrote.

What is Broad Peak’s significance?

Broad Peak is the world’s 12th highest mountain, located in the Karakoram range in northern Pakistan, and is regarded as one of the toughest and most technical climbs of all the 8,000-meter-plus ascents. It was first summited in 1957 by an Austrian team.

Rescuers and military helicopters scoured the area and teams stayed at the base camp overnight, according to the Gilgit-Baltistan regional government. “The rescue operation is being conducted under extremely challenging terrain and high-altitude weather conditions by the Pakistani army in coordination with local high-altitude climbers and rescuers,” it said.