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The Alpine Club of Pakistan reported that an avalanche hit a 10-member international team led by Nirmal Purja around midday on July 30 on Broad Peak in the Karakoram range, resulting in a complete loss of communication with the group. Officials have provided no immediate confirmation regarding any casualties or survivors from the 8,047-metre peak, which ranks as the 12th highest mountain in the world. The club has described the situation as urgent given the challenging environment at such altitudes.
The team included one American, one Chinese national, one Omani, five Nepalis and reportedly Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi from Hunza, according to details cross-referenced by the Mirror and local mountaineering sources. Nirmal Purja, a Nepal-born ex-Royal Marine, achieved global fame by scaling all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre-plus peaks in just over six months in 2019, according to records highlighted in climbing publications such as those from the Everest Chronicle. This accomplishment significantly shortened the previous benchmark for the feat and was later chronicled in a popular Netflix production.
Karrar Haidri, vice-president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, told the BBC that the organisation was coordinating with officials to launch a helicopter rescue on the morning of July 31 Pakistani time, contingent on favourable weather. In a statement, the Alpine Club of Pakistan said it had stayed in constant contact to ensure all possible resources were mobilised at the earliest opportunity. The club added that it was praying for the safety and successful rescue of the climbers while offering solidarity to their families and the international mountaineering community.
Purja enlisted in the British Army in 2003 and became a Royal Marine six years later, before his mountaineering journey began in earnest with an unplanned climb of Mount Everest after reaching its base camp in 2012, as detailed in biographical accounts. His military background informed the systematic planning that underpinned his record 2019 expedition, which drew attention from outlets worldwide. Updates from SnowBrains confirmed the missing status of the entire party without further specifics on their exact position at the time of the avalanche.
Broad Peak is known for its technical difficulties and history of avalanche activity, factors that Pakistani officials have cited when discussing the complexities of the ongoing search operation. The remote setting in northern Pakistan often delays ground support, making aerial rescue the primary option when conditions allow, according to standard procedures outlined by the Alpine Club of Pakistan. Reports from the Indian Express aligned with the BBC in noting the nationalities of those involved in the expedition.
As of July 31, multiple platforms including Outside Magazine had shared the development, emphasising the absence of any new signals from the mountain. The Alpine Club of Pakistan continued to lead the information flow with no additional details released on potential causes beyond the initial avalanche report. Search teams were preparing to depart as soon as weather permitted, the club reiterated in its communications.
