The body of renowned British Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja has been recovered from Pakistan’s Broad Peak following the deadly avalanche that struck an international climbing expedition, rescue officials confirmed.
Pakistan’s Alpine Club said Purja’s body was found at an altitude of about 5,700 metres on the mountain. Rescue teams also reported sighting three additional bodies, although their identities have yet to be officially confirmed.
Purja’s company, Elite Expeditions, announced on Saturday that the celebrated climber was among 10 people killed in the avalanche. The victims included climbers from Nepal, the United States and Oman.
Earlier, Pakistani authorities confirmed the recovery of the bodies of American climber Mallory Geis, Omani climber Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy and Nepal’s Pur Bahadur Gurung, all members of Purja’s expedition.
The avalanche struck on Thursday on Broad Peak, the world’s 12th highest mountain at 8,047 metres, in Pakistan’s Karakoram mountain range. Search and recovery operations have continued despite difficult weather and hazardous terrain.
Born in Nepal, Purja served for 16 years in the British Army, including a decade with the United Kingdom’s Special Forces, before becoming one of the world’s most accomplished high altitude mountaineers.
He rose to international prominence in 2019 after climbing all 14 of the world’s mountains above 8,000 metres in just 189 days, shattering the previous record by more than seven years. His achievement was later documented in the Netflix film 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.
Purja was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2018 for his contributions to extreme high altitude mountaineering and was widely recognised as the first Gurkha serving in the British military to summit Mount Everest.
Tributes poured in from around the world following news of his death.
Prince William described Purja as “one of the greatest mountaineers” and praised both his military service and extraordinary achievements in the mountains.
British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said Purja was “an inspirational man whose mountaineering adventures are known the world over.”
Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah said the deaths of six Nepalese climbers and four foreign mountaineers had deeply shocked the nation, adding that their courage and contributions would continue to inspire future generations.
In an emotional tribute, Purja’s brother Kamal said the family was heartbroken but immensely proud of his legacy.
“Your legacy will live forever.”
Just days before the expedition, Purja revealed that climbing Broad Peak had not originally been part of his plans. He said adding the summit would leave him only one mountain away from becoming the first person to climb all 14 eight thousand metre peaks twice without supplemental oxygen.
In what would become one of his final public messages, he wrote:
“Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down. I take zero mountains for granted.”
Broad Peak is regarded as one of the most technically demanding mountains in the world. Since its first successful ascent in 1957, dozens of climbers have lost their lives attempting to reach its summit.
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