Nirmal Purja’s Last Expedition Image Emerges Before Fatal Broad Peak Avalanche in PoK
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An image believed to show legendary mountaineer Nirmal Purja and his expedition team moments before a deadly avalanche struck Broad Peak in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s Karakoram range has surfaced online, offering a haunting glimpse into the final stages of the climb.
The image and video were shared by Pakistan-based tour operator Karakoram Vision, which said the footage was captured on July 30, shortly before the avalanche engulfed the upper slopes of the mountain.
Tour Operator Says Avalanche Struck Moments Later
According to Karakoram Vision, the image showed 10 international climbers, including Purja, ascending Broad Peak before the avalanche hit.
“We were watching from base camp and could clearly see the 10 international climbers, including world-famous mountaineer Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja, pushing up the mountain,” the operator said in an Instagram post.
It added that a massive avalanche was triggered above the climbers and that none of them were visible after the snow cleared.
The accompanying video shows a large wall of snow cascading down the mountainside as onlookers at base camp reacted in shock.
Search Operation Launched After Avalanche
A search-and-rescue operation was launched after reports of the avalanche on the 8,047-metre Broad Peak, one of the world’s most challenging high-altitude climbs.
The multinational expedition was led by 43-year-old Nepalese climber Nirmal Purja, who became globally renowned in 2019 after climbing all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks in just over six months. His achievement was later documented in the Netflix film 14 Peaks.
Purja’s expedition company Elite Exped confirmed on Saturday that he had died in the avalanche.
Pakistani officials said rescue teams had located the bodies of four climbers and recovered three of them. Those recovered were identified as American climber Mallory Geis, Oman’s Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, and Nepal’s Pur Bahadur Gurung.
Rescue teams continued searching for the remaining climbers in difficult terrain and severe weather conditions.
His Final Message Before Broad Peak
Just days before the expedition, Purja revealed that climbing Broad Peak had not been part of his original plan.
In a post on X, he wrote that the expedition had initially been focused on Gasherbrum II, but adding Broad Peak would leave him just one summit away from becoming the first person to climb all 14 eight-thousanders twice without supplemental oxygen.
