Veteran Mountaineer Nirmal Purja’s Body Recovered 3 Days After Fatal Avalanche
Purja was among 10 climbers killed in the avalanche that struck Broad Peak in Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan
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The body of veteran Nepalese-British mountaineer Nirmal Purja was found on 2 August 2026, three days after an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan swept away him and nine other climbers.
The avalanche occurred on 30 July 2026, and search operations were hampered by hazardous terrain and adverse weather conditions.
Purja, aged 43, was leading an international expedition at the time of the incident.
According to The Hindu, the Alpine Club of Pakistan confirmed that Purja’s body was located at approximately 5,700 metres on Broad Peak. The ground rescue team also sighted three additional bodies nearby, though their identities had not been immediately confirmed.
Recovery efforts continued under extremely challenging conditions, as helicopters could not be deployed due to the weather.
As reported by The Indian Express, Purja had not originally planned to climb Broad Peak. In his last social media post, he explained that his initial goal was to summit Gasherbrum II. Still, he decided to attempt Broad Peak to move closer to his ambition of climbing all 14 eight-thousanders twice without supplemental oxygen.
The avalanche struck as the team was moving between camps on the mountain’s west ridge.
Coverage revealed that Purja’s company, Elite Exped, confirmed his death and that of his teammates on 1 August 2026. The multinational group included climbers from Nepal, Pakistan, Oman, the United States, and China. The company and Purja’s family requested privacy for the bereaved families as recovery operations continued.
Efforts to retrieve the bodies were complicated by the mountain’s steep slopes and ongoing avalanche risk as details emerged. Authorities stated that while the locations of the victims had been identified, bringing them down safely remained a significant challenge due to the hazardous terrain.
"The ground rescue team has reached Nirmal Purja ‘Nims Dai’ at approximately 5,700m on Broad Peak, where three additional bodies have also been sighted, though their identities remain unconfirmed," the Alpine Club of Pakistan stated.
Tributes poured in from the global mountaineering community following reports of Purja’s death. The Akhil Maharashtra Giryarohan Mahasangh expressed condolences, highlighting the loss of ten climbers in a single incident and acknowledging Purja’s significant contributions to the sport.
Purja was renowned for his record-breaking achievements, including climbing all 14 of the world’s highest peaks in just over six months in 2019 as analysis showed. He was also a former Gurkha and UK Special Forces soldier, and his mountaineering feats were featured in the documentary “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.”
International leaders and officials, including Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah, expressed their condolences and recognised the courage and dedication of Purja and his team in statements issued. The Prime Minister noted that the legacy of the climbers would continue to inspire future generations.
"The tragic deaths of six Nepali climbers, including world record-holding mountaineer Nirmal Purja, along with four foreign climbers on the 8,051-metre Broad Peak — the world's 12th-highest mountain, located in Pakistan's Karakoram Range — have left us deeply shocked and saddened," Prime Minister Balendra Shah stated.
Condolences and tributes were also extended by mountaineering organisations and officials worldwide as further information became available. The incident has been described as a significant loss to the international mountaineering community, with ongoing efforts to recover the remaining climbers and support their families.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.