A deadly avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir has swept away a 10-member expedition led by famed climber Nirmal Purja, leaving him and several others missing. Four bodies have been recovered, including climbers from Oman, the US and Nepal. Rescue teams, backed by Pakistan Army helicopters, battle extreme altitude and bad weather in a race against time.
RENOWNED NEPALESE MOUNTAIN CLIMBER NIRMAL PURJA is among six mountaineers who have been missing since an avalanche struck Pakistan’s Broad Peak mountain on Thursday, July 30, 2026. Rescuers recovered the bodies of four dead climbers after conducting an extensive search operation amidst adverse weather conditions.
Broad peak is an eight-thousander mountain situated at an elevation of 8,051 metres, located in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir’s Gilgit-Baltistan region. On Thursday, July 30, 2026, an avalanche struck the mountain as the 10-member expedition party led by Nirmal Purja was making its way to the summit. Officials say that the mountain climbers were swept away by the avalanche at an altitude of around 7,000 metres. After information was received, a multinational rescue effort was initiated.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan, a non-governmental sports organization for promotion of mountaineering, confirmed that four bodies have been recovered so far. However, the identities of only three have been confirmed — Oman’s Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, America’s Mallory Geis, and Nepal’s Pur Bahadur Gurung. Authorities are yet to identify the remaining victim.
43-year-old Nirmal Purja, a famed Nepalese mountaineer, is among Other missing climbers include Kili Pemba Sherpa, Nima Sherpa, Nawang Thindu Sherpa, Gyalu Sherpa (all from Nepal), Sohail Sakhi of Pakistan, Mallory Geis of the United States and Wang Zhong of China. Officials said the expedition included climbers from Nepal, Pakistan, Oman, United States, and China.
Nirmal Purja, also known as Nims Dai, is a 43-year-old mountain climber. He was born in Dana, a small village in Nepal's Myagdi District. He is a naturalized British citizen. Purja comes from a family of Gurkhas, a world-famous group of Nepalese soldiers who have served in different armed forces, including the British Army. In 2009, he joined the UK special forces, serving in the Royal Navy's Special Boat Service (SBS).
During his time in the British Army, Purja developed an interest in mountain climbing. In 2012, Purja conquered his “first peak” by reaching the summit of Lobuche East with no previous mountaineering experience.
Purja is notable for having climbed all 14 eight-thousanders (mountain peaks which are elevated at 8,000 metres or above) in less than seven months. This feat, famously deemed as Nirmal Purja’s “Project Possible,” was chronicled in the Netflix documentary “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible” released in 2021.
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Purja is the first person to reach the summits of Mount Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu within two days. In 2021, he and a team of nine other Nepalese climbers completed the first winter ascent of K2.
Throughout Friday, Pakistan’s tourism authorities continued search and rescue operations at the mountain, which they described as a “remote and extremely difficult section.” Two Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters have been deployed, but bad weather and the high-altitude terrain have slowed down the rescue efforts.
The 10-member climbing expedition team has remained out of communication with authorities ever since the avalanche struck Broad Peak. “We remain hopeful for the safe recovery of the missing climbers,” Pakistan Alpine Club said.
As the search entered its second day, hopes of finding survivors remained, though rescuers acknowledged that harsh weather, difficult terrain, and the passage of time were making the operation increasingly challenging.
(Edited by Ritik Singh)
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