Nirmal Purja body recovered by rescuers after Pakistan avalanche

Rescuers have recovered the remains of celebrated mountaineer Nirmal Purja, who was killed alongside nine other members of an international expedition in a powerful avalanche in northern Pakistan, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan. The disaster struck on Thursday, cutting off all contact with the expedition party as they scaled Broad Peak, the world's 12th-highest mountain.

The ground rescue team reached Purja at approximately 5,700 metres on the mountain, the Alpine Club of Pakistan announced on Sunday. Ayaz Shigri, the club's general secretary, confirmed to AFP that Purja's body and those of three others had been recovered during the high-altitude operation. Search crews spotted three additional deceased individuals at the same coordinates, though their identities remain unconfirmed pending formal identification.

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The 10-member expedition was swept away by the massive snow slide around midday on Thursday, according to official briefings. The international party included climbers and guides from Nepal, Pakistan, the United States, Oman, and China. Elite Exped, the expedition agency founded by Purja, confirmed on Saturday that no team members survived the disaster.

Regional authorities previously reported that the remains of three climbers—Omani national Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, American Mallory Geis, and Nepali climber Pur Bahadur Gurung—had been located and flown out to Skardu on Friday. According to the Alpine Club of Pakistan, the recovered climbers whose identities were verified included Purja, Wang Zhong of China, Nima Sherpa, and Kili Pemba Sherpa. Other members of the ill-fated expedition included Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi and Nepali guides Nawang Thendu Sherpa and Gyaljen Sherpa.

The recovery operation has proven exceptionally perilous. According to Mingma David Sherpa, a veteran Nepali mountaineer who travelled from Kathmandu to Skardu, recovery teams have had to navigate severe atmospheric hazards and treacherous terrain. Rescuers plan to transport the bodies from their current location down to Camp-1 and subsequently to the Japanese Camp, weather permitting. Direct helicopter hoisting from high-altitude points has been dismissed due to the constant threat of secondary avalanches and technical topography. Pakistan Army Aviation aircraft remain on standby at the Japanese Camp to evacuate the fallen climbers and rescue workers once conditions allow.

The tragedy has wiped out a generation of exceptional high-altitude climbing talent, particularly affecting Nepal's guiding community. Among the dead was Kili Pemba Sherpa, a lead guide with Imagine Nepal who had completed all 14 of the world's eight-thousanders less than a month before his death. Kili Pemba was part of the historic first winter ascent of K2 alongside Purja on January 16, 2021, and was widely celebrated for guiding disabled climbers to the summit of Everest and Manaslu. Also lost was Pur Bahadur Gurung, a senior guide with Elite Exped who had climbed 12 of the world's 14 highest peaks, alongside veteran guides Nima Sherpa, Nawang Thendu Sherpa, and Gyaljen Sherpa.

Purja, a 43-year-old British-Nepali mountaineer and former soldier in the British Army's Special Boat Service, gained global renown in 2019 after setting a record for climbing all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres in just over six months. His extraordinary feat was chronicled in the Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible. Before the accident, Purja was attempting to become the first person to summit all 14 eight-thousanders twice without supplemental oxygen.

Tributes poured in from around the world following confirmation of his death. U.K. Defence Minister Wes Streeting paid tribute on X, calling Purja an inspirational man who served in the Armed Forces for many years. Celebrities including Bear Grylls, Sonam Kapoor, and Vikrant Massey also shared emotional farewells to the climber known affectionately as 'Nims Dai'.

Expedition Demographics and Status

• Total Expedition Members: 10
• Nationalities Represented: Nepal, Pakistan, United States, Oman, China
• Mountain: Broad Peak (8,047 metres / 26,400 feet), Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
• Date of Avalanche: Thursday
• Body Recoveries: Ongoing recovery operations by ground teams navigating from 5,700 metres toward Camp-1 and the Japanese Camp.

Search and recovery teams continue their work on the mountain, with military-backed units maintaining operations as weather conditions allow. Further updates on the repatriation of the remaining climbers are expected as ground teams descend through the technical terrain.