A former British Army soldier died after 10 mountaineers were hit by an avalanche in Pakistan on Thursday.
Nirmal Purja was leading a gaggle up Broad Peak, one in all the world’s highest mountains, after they were struck by an avalanche around midday.
The bodies of three climbers – Nadhira Alharthy, the primary Omani woman to summit Mount Everest; Sarah Mallory Geis, an American climber; and Pur Bahadur Gurung, a Nepali climber – were recovered yesterday.
Purja’s guiding company Elite Exped confirmed today that the British-Nepali mountaineer, 43, was also killed.
Elite Exped said on Instagram today: ‘Today, it’s with profound sadness and immense heartbreak that we confirm that Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja, tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak.
‘We’ve also received confirmation that other members of this expedition sadly didn’t survive.
Enroll for all of the newest stories
Start your day informed with Metro’s News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.
‘Today, we mourn not only Nims, but every life lost on this tragedy, including his trusted climbing partners and guides, Pur Bahadur Gurung (Yukta) and Nima Sherpa.
‘Our deepest thoughts, prayers and heartfelt condolences are with their families, friends and family members. No words can erase the pain of this unimaginable loss, and we ask that everybody respects their privacy as they grieve.’
Purja, a former Royal Marines soldier, is a renowned mountaineer who climbed all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks in record time in 2019.
It was chronicled within the 2021 Netflix documentary, 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Unimaginable.
He managed the feat without supplemental oxygen in 2024, and hoped to accomplish that again this 12 months.
On Monday, Purja wrote on X that Broad Peak was the penultimate mountain he needed to summit to climb all 14 peaks.
‘Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but protected passage up and back down,’ he said.
‘I take zero mountains as a right. Not one. The moment my foot leaves basecamp, it’s 100%. At all times has been. At all times shall be.’
Purja was amongst 10 climbers, spread in 4 teams, who set off for Broad Peak within the Karakoram range Thursday morning.
By 9am, communication with the climbers was lost. Officials said an avalanche hit them after they were at an altitude of 6,600 meters.
The search and rescue began the next morning but was hindered by bad weather and the distant location.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan said earlier today that two bodies have been recovered, in addition to the ‘amputated’ leg of Geis.
‘Authorities have also reported locating several additional bodies through aerial surveillance; nevertheless, official identification can only be confirmed once ground rescue teams safely reach the location,’ the club added.
Also missing are Sohail Sakhi, a renowned Pakistani alpinist; Wang Zhong, a Chinese climber; and Kili Pema Sherpa, a Nepali guide.
Broad Peak is the world’s twelfth highest mountain, with a summit of 8,047 meters.
Get in contact with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Flight tracker shows the eerie moment plane vanishes into the ocean