- Nirmal Purja has been confirmed dead following a tragic avalanche in Pakistan, according to his company.
- Rescue teams in Pakistan had been searching for the climbers on Broad Peak, the world's 12th-highest summit, after Thursday's avalanche on the 8,047m (26,400ft) peak in the Karakoram range.
- 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.
- Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah confirmed Purja's death, saying the "tragic death of six Nepalese and four other foreign climbers" in the Karakoram range "has shocked us", and adding that their courage and contributions would always remain inspiring.
Nirmal Purja, a celebrated Nepali-born mountaineer, was killed in an avalanche on Broad Peak, Pakistan, along with nine other climbers.123
Elite Expeditions announced his death with "profound sadness and immense heartbreak".
The avalanche struck on Thursday, affecting a multinational climbing group led by Purja, known for scaling the world's 14 highest peaks in just over six months in 2019.
His remarkable journey was chronicled in the Netflix documentary, 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, released in 2021.
The bodies of three climbers, including American Mallory Geis and Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy from Oman, have been recovered.4
Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah expressed his condolences, stating, "the tragic death of six Nepalese and four other foreign climbers, including world record holder Nirmal Purja, in the Karakoram mountain range of Pakistan, has shocked us".5
He added, "The history of their courage, dedication, and contributions will always remain inspiring".
Rescue teams are still searching for the remaining climbers on the 8,047m (26,400ft) peak, known for its challenging conditions.
Broad Peak has a history of fatalities, with at least six deaths recorded in 2013 alone.
“Pakistani officials recovered the bodies of three expedition members — American Mallory Geis, Oman's Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy and Nepal's Pur Bahadur Gurung. Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah said the deaths of six Nepalese and four foreign climbers have shocked the country, calling their courage inspiring.”
BBC
