Mountaineer Nirmal Purja and nine others confirmed dead after Pakistan avalanche
Expedition company Elite Expeditions has confirmed the death of famed mountaineer Nirmal Purja and nine team members following an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan.
Mountaineering company Elite Expeditions has confirmed the death of famed high-altitude climber Nirmal Purja and nine other expedition members following a devastating avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak. The disaster occurred on Thursday along the 8,047-metre Karakoram mountain, severing communication with the international group.
Rescuers initially located the remains of three team members—identified as climbers from Oman, Nepal, and the United States—while search operations continued for seven others. On Saturday, Elite Expeditions announced with "profound sadness and immense heartbreak" that all ten individuals on the expedition had perished.
Purja, a 43-year-old Nepal-born former British Royal Marine, gained international fame for scaling all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre summits in under seven months.
Sources: BBC News, FAZ, Sweden Herald
Sources
Earlier coverage
- Aug 2, 2026, 03:30 PM UTCMountaineering community mourns as Nirmal Purja confirmed dead in Pakistan avalanche
- Aug 1, 2026, 11:30 PM UTCMountaineer Nirmal Purja and team killed in Pakistan avalanche
- Aug 1, 2026, 09:30 PM UTCMountaineer Nirmal Purja and nine others killed in Pakistan avalanche
- Aug 1, 2026, 03:30 PM UTCClimber Nirmal Purja and nine others killed in Broad Peak avalanche
- Aug 1, 2026, 01:00 PM UTCMountaineer Nirmal Purja killed in Pakistan avalanche, company confirms
- Aug 1, 2026, 09:30 AM UTCSearch continues on Broad Peak for missing climbers following deadly avalanche
- Aug 1, 2026, 06:00 AM UTCTen climbers feared missing or dead following avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak