What happened
Elite Expeditions, the climbing company founded by Nirmal Purja, confirmed on Saturday that the British-Nepali mountaineer and other members of his expedition had died after a powerful avalanche on Broad Peak in northern Pakistan.
“It is with profound sadness and immense heartbreak that we confirm that Nirmal Purja tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak,” the company said in a statement. “We have also received confirmation that other members of the expedition sadly did not survive.”
The avalanche struck on Thursday as the team was ascending at an altitude of around 6,600 metres on the 8,047-metre mountain. Contact with the international expedition led by the 43-year-old Purja was lost on Thursday morning, and tracking data indicated the climbers were thrown hundreds of metres down the mountainside, Naila Kiani of Pakistan’s Alpine Club told the French newspaper Le Monde.
The search operation
The Gilgit-Baltistan government said remains recovered so far and flown by helicopter to hospital for formal identification included an American woman, an Omani woman and a Nepali man. That statement was released on Friday night.
Police in Gilgit-Baltistan said high-altitude porters and rescue teams were carrying out a second day of the operation on Saturday after the search was paused because of difficult weather a day earlier. Teams stayed at the base camp overnight, and the government said the operation was being conducted “under extremely challenging terrain and high-altitude weather conditions by the Pakistani army in coordination with local high-altitude climbers and rescuers.”
According to regional authorities, the expedition comprised 10 people: Purja, five Nepalis, a Pakistani, an Omani, an American and a climber from China.
Why it matters
Purja served with Britain’s Brigade of Gurkhas before joining the Special Boat Squadron of the Royal Marines, and became one of the best-known mountaineers of his generation. He climbed all 14 “eight-thousanders” in six months and six days between April and October 2019, then a record, and wrote this week that he was close to becoming the first person to climb all 14 twice without supplemental oxygen.
Broad Peak is the world’s 12th highest mountain and is regarded as one of the toughest of the 8,000-metre ascents. It was first summited in 1957 by an Austrian team. Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah offered his condolences over what he called the “tragic” deaths, saying the news had “shocked us” and that the history of the climbers’ courage and contribution would remain inspiring.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a summary of published reporting, not independent reporting. Details are as carried by the cited source, which was reviewed on 1 August 2026.
- Dawn — "Renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, others perish in Broad Peak avalanche, climbing company confirms"1 August 2026 · The Elite Expeditions confirmation, the recovered remains, the expedition roster and the search operation.
