Elite Exped Leader Nirmal Purja Among 10 Climbers Missing After Broad Peak Avalanche

A ten-member elite exped team attempting to summit Pakistan's Broad Peak lost contact with base camp after an avalanche struck the mountain Thursday. Four bodies have been recovered as of Saturday, with renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja among the missing members. Rescue operations continue despite challenging weather that has hampered helicopter flights in the Gilgit-Baltistan region.

The Expedition and Avalanche

The climbing team comprised five Nepali climbers, Pakistani mountaineer Sohail Sakhi, Omani climber Nathira Ahmed, American climber Mallory Geis, a Chinese climber identified as Wang, and another foreign climber whose identity has not yet been disclosed. The group lost all communication with their base camp during the avalanche on Thursday, according to Karrar Haidri, vice president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan.

According to the Alpine Club, this expedition held particular significance for two members. For Geis, aged 39 and based in San Antonio, the climb represented her first attempt at an 8,000-meter peak in Pakistan. For Sakhi, a guide with Moving Mountains travel company and accomplished geographer and high-altitude photographer, the expedition was intended to be his final major mountain climbing endeavor.

Search and Recovery Efforts

Military helicopters and experienced Pakistani climbers have been deployed to locate the remaining six climbers. The remains of Omani climber Nathira Ahmed were transported to Islamabad, while the bodies of American climber Mallory Geis and Nepali climber Bahadur Gurung were transferred to a hospital in Skardu, the primary city in the northern region. Authorities acknowledge that hope is fading despite ongoing search operations, as adverse weather continues to impede aerial rescue efforts.

About Nirmal Purja

Purja, aged 43 and known professionally as Nims Dai, is a Nepal-born former soldier in the British Army who achieved international prominence for summiting the world's 14 highest peaks in 189 days during 2019—a record later surpassed in 2023. His extraordinary feat was documented in the Netflix series "14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible," which brought significant attention to high-altitude mountaineering. He was leading this expedition to Broad Peak.

Accidents remain frequent on climbing expeditions in northern Pakistan, where mountaineers face hazards including avalanches, falling ice and rock, extreme altitude, and unpredictable weather conditions that can shift rapidly.