Avalanche Trashes Broad Peak Expedition: Elite Mountaineer Nirmal 'Nims' Purja Among Missing as Rescuers Recover Bodies

Famed Nepali-born British mountaineer Nirmal "Nims" Purja and his expedition team were struck by a massive avalanche on Broad Peak in the Karakoram range, triggering a high-stakes rescue mission across the 8,051-metre mountain. Rescue crews in the Gilgit-Baltistan region have recovered four bodies so far, while military helicopters and drone units continue scanning the treacherous terrain despite heavy snow and poor visibility.

Sudden Avalanche Strikes Expedition Above Death Zone

The disaster unfolded when a powerful wall of snow swept down Broad Peak—the world's 12th-highest mountain—catching an 11-member international expedition led by Purja off guard. The team, comprising high-altitude Sherpas and foreign climbers, lost radio contact with base camp shortly after the slide.

Search teams dispatched to the disaster zone confirmed the retrieval of four bodies, including Nepali climber Pur Bahadur Gurung, Omani mountaineer Nadhira Alharthy—the first woman from Oman to scale Mount Everest—and American climber Mallory Geis. Officials from the Alpine Club of Pakistan reported that aerial drone footage spotted additional climbers further down the slope, though severe weather has prevented rescuers from reaching them on foot.

GPS Signals and Chilling Final Message Before Disappearance

Tracking data from a GPS device carried by Purja showed a sudden, steep drop in altitude during the avalanche, suggesting he was swept thousands of feet down the mountain face. While the signal periodically registered movement, authorities cautioned that tracking data alone cannot confirm whether the device remains attached to him or if he survived the fall.

Just hours before the tragedy struck, Purja had sent a final voice message to NDTV’s Senior Managing Editor Vishnu Som, sharing updates on the challenging ascent and unpredictable weather gripping the Karakoram range.

A Mountain Legend’s Unmatched High-Altitude Legacy

Purja, 43, a former British Royal Marine and Special Boat Service operative, captured global fame in 2019 by scaling all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks in a record six months and six days—a feat chronicled in the Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible. He further cemented his place in climbing history in January 2021 by co-leading the first-ever winter summit of K2 without supplemental oxygen.

Pakistani authorities, supported by high-altitude rescue teams and military aviation units, are maintaining search efforts around Base Camp and the upper routes whenever weather windows open, as families and the international climbing community await further updates.