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Elite Expeditions confirmed with profound sadness and immense heartbreak that its founder Nirmal Purja died in the avalanche on Broad Peak along with nine other climbers, according to a statement from the company. Pakistani authorities had earlier reported that search teams recovered the bodies of three expedition members identified as American Mallory Geis, Omani national Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy and Nepali guide Pur Bahadur Gurung. Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah stated that the deaths of six Nepalese citizens and four foreign climbers including world record holder Purja had shocked the nation while adding that their courage and contributions would remain inspiring.
Climbing magazine reported that by August 1 rescuers had spotted additional bodies by drone with the total death toll confirmed at 10 after Elite Expeditions stated that other expedition members also did not survive. The avalanche hit the 8,051-metre peak in the Karakoram range around midday Thursday as the multinational group made its ascent under Purja’s leadership. A spokesperson for the Alpine Club of Pakistan involved in the rescue efforts described Purja as a very experienced climber and fearless while noting that the club would await full body recovery before final announcements though teams feared all were dead.
Purja who was 43 had served 16 years in the British military including a decade in special forces before transitioning to professional mountaineering according to USA Today. He received an MBE from the late Queen in 2018 for services to extreme high-altitude mountaineering and was the first Gurkha to summit Everest while still serving in the British Army. The climber lived in Hampshire in southern England with his wife and three-year-old daughter at the time of the incident.
In 2019 Purja set a record by climbing all 14 of the world’s peaks above 8,000 metres in six months and six days which a Wikipedia compilation of mountaineering feats noted shattered the previous mark of seven years and 310 days. The achievement gained global attention through the Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible released in 2021 that followed his Project Possible expedition. He later contributed to the first successful winter ascent of K2 the world’s second-highest mountain as reported by multiple outlets covering his career.
Purja’s final post on X published days before the climb revealed that he had not originally planned to tackle Broad Peak but saw an opportunity to become the first person to summit all 14 eight-thousanders twice without supplemental oxygen. He wrote that this was not planned but opportunities whisper to those already working in silence while asking Broad Peak for nothing but safe passage up and back down. The post came after he had already completed climbs on nearby peaks including Gasherbrum II during the same trip to Pakistan.
Broad Peak ranks as the world’s 12th-highest mountain and has claimed dozens of lives since its first ascent by an Austrian expedition in 1957 according to historical mountaineering records. One of its deadliest seasons came in 2013 when at least six climbers perished on the peak as noted in compilations of eight-thousander fatalities. Avalanches and sudden weather shifts remain persistent hazards in Pakistan’s Karakoram range where climbing permits generate significant revenue but safety protocols have drawn scrutiny after repeated incidents.
UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting expressed sadness over the loss of an inspirational figure who had served in the Armed Forces for many years with adventures known worldwide. Purja’s older brother Kamal issued a family statement declaring it was with the heaviest heart that he shared the news while expressing pride in his brother’s legacy that would live forever. Naila Kiani who had joined expeditions led by Purja told the BBC he demonstrated exceptional leadership throughout his career in the mountains.
