- Nirmal Purja, 43, died following an avalanche while leading an expedition on the world's 12th-highest peak, 8,051m Broad Peak in northern Pakistan.
- Elite Expeditions confirmed Purja's death with "profound sadness and immense heartbreak" and said the other nine members of the expedition had not survived.
- Pakistani officials said the bodies of three climbers had been recovered: American Mallory Geis, Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy from Oman, and Pur Bahadur Gurung from Nepal; they were among the 10-person expedition.
- The company mourned every life lost, including climbing partners and guides Pur Bahadur Gurung (Yukta) and Nima Sherpa; rescuers initially found four bodies and identified Nadhira Al Harthy and Gurung among them.
Nirmal Purja, 43, was leading an expedition on Broad Peak, the world's 12th-highest mountain, when an avalanche struck on Thursday. His company, Elite Expeditions, expressed their grief, stating, "Today, it is with profound sadness and immense heartbreak that we confirm that Nirmal 'Nimsdai' Purja, tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak."12345
The avalanche claimed the lives of nine climbers, with three bodies recovered, including those of Nadhira Al Harthy from Oman and Pur Bahadur Gurung from Nepal. Pakistani officials confirmed that the other members of the expedition did not survive.678
Purja was celebrated for his remarkable achievements, including scaling the world's 14 highest peaks in just over six months in 2019, a feat documented in the Netflix film 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible. He served in the British military for 16 years and was the first Gurkha to join the Special Boat Service (SBS). His legacy as a climber and soldier will be remembered by many.
“Elite Expeditions, the company Purja co-founded, said it was with “profound sadness and immense heartbreak” that it confirmed his death; all nine other expedition members did not survive. Pakistani officials said bodies of three climbers — American Mallory Geis, Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy from Oman and Pur Bahadur Gurung from Nepal — had been recovered.”
