Renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja and nine expedition members died following an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan’s Karakoram range on Thursday, July 30, 2026. Elite Exped confirmed the fatalities after search teams backed by military helicopters spent two days combing the avalanche zone.
The Avalanche on Broad Peak and the Multi-Day Search
The tragedy struck at around 9 am local time when an avalanche swept through the main west-facing gully of Broad Peak, carrying a 10-person international team hundreds of metres downhill. The expedition was climbing between Camp 2 and higher elevations on the 8,051-metre mountain, located near K2 in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region. According to National Geographic and reporting cited by the Indian Express, heavy snowfall beginning around July 22 had already raised avalanche fears and prompted veteran climbers like David Klein and Ian Overton to leave the mountain.
Despite deteriorating conditions and fresh snow that required several days of stable weather to settle, Purja’s team remained on the peak. Following the disaster, rescue operations were launched with the support of Pakistani military helicopters and ground teams led by experienced Nepali climbers.
For days, conflicting signals complicated the efforts. Garmin tracking devices briefly raised hopes when Mingma Gyabu Sherpa noted apparent GPS movement, showing the tracker descending more than 2,000 feet within 30 minutes after dropping from Camp 2. However, climbing experts cautioned that buried or trapped devices can transmit unreliable positions, and communication with the team remained broken.
Elite Exped Confirms Deaths of Nirmal Purja and Senior Guides
After two days of combing the avalanche zone, Elite Exped confirmed the deaths in a statement posted on social media. The company was co-owned by Purja alongside Mingma David Sherpa and Tejan Gurung.
Elite Exped stated via Indian Express and multiple outlets that today, it is with profound sadness and immense heartbreak that they confirm that Nirmal ‘Nimsdai’ Purja tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak.
The statement also honored the other team members lost in the disaster, naming trusted climbing partners and guides Pur Bahadur Gurung, popularly known as Yukta, and Nima Sherpa. Pakistani police official Tahir Khan confirmed that the bodies of Omani climber Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy were flown to Islamabad, while the remains of American climber Mallory Geis and Nepalese guide Pur Bahadur Gurung were brought to Skardu, the main city in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, as reported by the Indian Express.
The 10-Member International Expedition Roster
The multinational team brought together elite high-altitude guides and climbers from several countries.
| Climber Name | Nationality | Role / Status |
|---|---|---|
| Nirmal Purja | Nepal / UK | Expedition Leader (Confirmed Dead) |
| Pur Bahadur Gurung (Yukta) | Nepal | Guide (Confirmed Dead) |
| Nima Sherpa | Nepal | Guide (Confirmed Dead) |
| Kili Pemba Sherpa (Kilu) | Nepal | Expedition Member |
| Nawang Thindu Sherpa | Nepal | Expedition Member |
| Gyalu Sherpa | Nepal | Expedition Member |
| Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy | Oman | Climber (Body Recovered) |
| Mallory Geis | United States | Climber (Body Recovered) |
| Sohail Sakhi | Pakistan | Guide (Missing) |
| Wang Zhong | China | Climber |
A Lasting Legacy in Global Mountaineering
Forty-three-year-old Nirmal Purja, widely known as Nims Dai, gained global recognition in 2019 when he completed “Project Possible,” scaling all 14 of the world’s peaks higher than 8,000 metres in just over six months. That achievement shattered the previous record of nearly eight years and was later chronicled in the Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible
.
Before becoming a professional mountaineer, Purja served for 16 years in the British military, joining the British Army in 2003 before serving in the Royal Marines’ Special Boat Service (SBS). His service and climbing achievements earned him an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II in 2018, as well as the Honorary Freedom of the Borough from Eastleigh Borough Council in southern England.
In January 2021, Purja was part of the historic all-Nepalese team that completed the first winter ascent of K2. At the time of the Broad Peak tragedy, he was attempting to become the first person to climb all 14 eight-thousanders twice.
Tributes and Unresolved Recovery Operations
Leaders across the international community expressed profound grief following the confirmation of the deaths. Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah paid tribute to Purja and his fellow climbers, stating that their courage, discipline, and sacrifice represented the pinnacle of human dedication to challenging limits.
Former Nepal Mountaineering Association president Ang Tshering Sherpa described Purja as one of the best climbers
in the world, noting that he spent most of his time climbing eight-thousanders. While recovery teams have retrieved several remains and transported them to Skardu and Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan police and the Alpine Club of Pakistan report that search efforts for the remaining missing expedition members are ongoing.
