Ten climbers, including world-renowned Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja, are missing after an avalanche struck Broad Peak in Pakistan, according to a statement released by the Alpine Club of Pakistan. The group was caught in the avalanche at approximately 6,600 meters on the 8,047-meter peak, ranking as the twelfth highest mountain in the world, as rescue teams mobilize two army helicopters and personnel from the K2 base camp to search the area.
Broad Peak Avalanche Details and Missing Climbers
The expedition on Broad Peak, located in the Karakoram range, hit disaster when the team was struck by an avalanche around midday, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan. The missing group includes climbers from Oman, Pakistan, China, and the United States, alongside the 43-year-old Purja. Chhang Dawa Sherpa, a board member of the company Seven Summit Treks which supplied three sherpa team members, stated that the group’s last recorded location was at 6,600 meters altitude before they “fell right down.” Two army helicopters and additional rescue teams deploying from the base camp of K2—the world’s second-highest mountain—are currently searching the area, according to the Alpine Club.
Nirmal Purja’s Mountaineering Career and Records
Purja gained widespread public recognition through the Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing is impossible, which captured his 2019 ascent of all fourteen of the world’s highest mountain peaks in six months and six days. That feat shattered the record set in 2013 by South Korean climber Kim Chang-ho, who required seven years to complete the same fourteen peaks. Purja previously stated in interviews that he wanted a greater challenge involving all fourteen mountains in the “death zone” within seven months, expressing a desire to show what the human body can achieve without fear. His record was subsequently broken in 2023 by Norwegian climber Kristin Harila and Nepalese climber Tenjin Sherpa, who scaled the fourteen peaks in three months and one day—an outcome Purja anticipated in a 2019 interview with Forbes, noting that “records are there to be broken because boundaries are constantly being pushed.”
Military Background and Rise to Mountaineering
Before launching his high-altitude mountaineering career in 2012 following a visit to the Mount Everest base camp, Purja served sixteen years in the military. His career began in 2003 at age 18 as a Gurkha, a respected elite unit of Nepalese soldiers, before he spent an additional ten years working for the British Special Forces. Known by the nickname ‘Nims’, Purja transitioned from military service to mountaineering before the current expedition on Broad Peak.
Did you know? Nirmal Purja started climbing high mountains relatively late in life, beginning his mountaineering journey in 2012 at the Everest base camp after serving 16 years as a military serviceman with the Gurkhas and the British Special Forces.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Nirmal Purja?
Nirmal Purja, also known as ‘Nims’, is a 43-year-old world-renowned Nepalese mountaineer, former Gurkha, and former British Special Forces soldier who famously climbed the world’s 14 highest peaks in under seven months in 2019.
What happened on Broad Peak?
Ten climbers, including Nirmal Purja, went missing after being struck by an avalanche at 6,600 meters altitude on Broad Peak in Pakistan, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan and Seven Summit Treks.
What is being done in the rescue operation?
The Alpine Club of Pakistan reported that two army helicopters have been deployed alongside rescue teams mobilizing from the K2 base camp to search for the missing expedition members.
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