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Nirmal Purja: Record-breaking climber dies in Broad Peak avalanche

Nirmal Purja, who set the record for climbing the world's 14 highest peaks in 189 days, has died after an avalanche swept him and nine others down Broad Peak in Pakistan, his company Elite Exped confirmed. Pakistani officials have located four bodies as search-and-rescue operations continue.

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Nirmal Purja: Record-breaking climber dies in Broad Peak avalanche

Nirmal Purja: Record-breaking climber dies in Broad Peak avalanche

The short answer

Famed Nepali-British mountaineer Nirmal 'Nimsdai' Purja has died after an avalanche swept him and nine other climbers off Pakistan's 8,051-metre Broad Peak. His company Elite Exped confirmed his death in a Saturday social media post, saying he 'tragically lost his life following the avalanche.' Pakistani rescue officials later said four bodies had been located, though they did not identify them. The avalanche struck on Thursday, July 30, during a period of heavy snowfall that had already prompted most other teams to leave the mountain. Purja, 43, became internationally famous in 2019 after climbing all 14 of the world's highest peaks in a record 189 days, a feat later covered in the Netflix documentary '14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.' He was attempting to become the first person to climb all 14 'super peaks' twice without supplemental oxygen, according to a post he made on X. Sources differ on some details: ABC News says six of the ten climbers were Nepalis, while the Sydney Morning Herald lists five Nepalis; the avalanche time is reported as both midday and 9 a.m. local. Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah offered condolences, saying the 'physical journey of all the deceased climbers has been interrupted, but the history of their courage... will always remain inspiring.'

Why it's trending

Interest spiked after Elite Exped's official confirmation of Purja's death on Saturday, August 1, turning a missing-climber story into the death of a globally recognized mountaineer. The simultaneous report that four bodies had been found, paired with Purja's Netflix fame and his ambitious 'twice without oxygen' mission, drove rapid international coverage and search traffic.

The mountaineering world is in shock after Elite Exped, Nirmal Purja's expedition company, confirmed on Saturday that the 43-year-old died when an avalanche swept him and nine others down Broad Peak in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region. Pakistani officials said four bodies had been located, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The avalanche struck on Thursday July 30, with ABC News reporting it occurred around midday local time and National Geographic placing it at roughly 9 a.m.

Accounts of the disaster vary across sources. ABC News, citing Elite Exped, says six of the ten climbers were Nepalis, while SMH's Alpine Club of Pakistan list includes five Nepalis along with climbers from Pakistan, Oman, the US and China. National Geographic reports that other expeditions had already left the mountain over concerns about heavy snowfall, and that Purja's decision to remain 'is still opaque.' National Geographic also said the avalanche swept the climbers down the mountain's main west-facing gully, up to a vertical mile. The exact time of the avalanche also differs between ABC (midday) and NatGeo (9 a.m.).

Purja, a former Gurkha who served with British special forces, became a global star in 2019 when he climbed all 14 eight-thousanders in 189 days, a record later surpassed in 2023. His career was chronicled in the Netflix documentary '14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible' (2021). Before this week's expedition, he posted on X that he was close to becoming the first person to climb all 14 'super peaks' twice without oxygen, writing: 'Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down.'

The tragedy highlights how quickly conditions on 8,000-metre peaks can turn deadly. National Geographic quoted climber David Klein saying that after heavy snowfall, 'you want a few days of good weather in which there is no snowfall, but you are not moving because the snow has to do one of two things. It has to stick to the mountain or it has to slide down.' Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah said the deaths 'shocked us' and praised the climbers' courage. Authorities are continuing their search and families await further identification of the recovered bodies.

Timeline

  1. Purja sets 14-peak record

    Nirmal Purja climbed the world's 14 highest peaks in a record 189 days, according to ABC News and SMH.

  2. Netflix documentary released

    '14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible' chronicled Purja's record-breaking journey, making him a global star, per ABC News.

  3. Record surpassed

    SMH reported that Purja's 2019 record was surpassed in 2023.

  4. Expedition heads to Broad Peak

    Pakistan travel company Moving Mountains announced the team was on its way to Askole. Purja also posted on X asking Broad Peak for 'safe passage up and back down,' per ABC News and SMH.

  5. Heavy snowfall begins

    National Geographic reported that heavy snowfall began around July 22, dissuading some climbers. Climber David Klein later said after much snowfall, 'you want a few days of good weather' so the snow can stick or slide.

  6. Most teams leave the mountain

    Klein and Ian Overton packed up and walked out. National Geographic stated 'most of the teams at base camp had already gone home,' but Purja's Elite Exped team remained.

  7. Avalanche sweeps ten climbers

    An avalanche hit Broad Peak's main west-facing gully. National Geographic reports 'around 9 a.m. local time'; ABC News says 'around midday on Thursday, local time.' The team lost contact with base camp, per SMH.

  8. Purja's death confirmed; bodies found

    Elite Exped confirmed Purja died in the avalanche. Pakistani officials said four bodies had been located, according to SMH. Nepal's PM Balendra Shah offered condolences, per ABC News.

Questions people ask

Was Nirmal Purja confirmed dead?

Yes. Elite Exped said in a social media post on Saturday that Purja 'tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak.' Pakistani officials later said four bodies had been located, but did not name them, according to SMH.

How many climbers were missing in the avalanche?

Ten climbers were caught in the avalanche. ABC News reported six were Nepalis and the others were from Pakistan, Oman, the US and China. SMH listed five Nepalis plus a Pakistani, an Omani, an American, a Chinese climber and one other foreign climber; the exact breakdown has not been reconciled.

What was Purja attempting on this expedition?

According to ABC News, Purja wrote on X that he was close to becoming the first person to climb all 14 'super peaks' twice without oxygen. He asked Broad Peak for safe passage up and back down.

Why had other climbers left before the avalanche?

National Geographic reported that heavy snowfall began around July 22. Climber David Klein said that after lots of snowfall you need several days without snowfall so the snow can either stick or slide. Klein and Ian Overton left on July 25; most teams had already gone. Why Purja's team stayed is still unclear, according to NatGeo.

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