Nirmal Purja, a renowned Nepali mountaineer and former British Army and Royal Marines soldier, was killed in an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak on July 30, 2026. The avalanche struck at midday while the team was ascending the 8,047-meter mountain in the Karakoram range, Gilgit-Baltistan region [1, 2, 3].
A total of 10 climbers were caught in the avalanche; all are confirmed dead. The expedition included six Nepali climbers and others from Pakistan, Oman, the US, and China [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Three bodies were recovered early the next day, including American Mallory Geis, Omani Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, and Nepali Pur Bahadur Gurung. These were flown to a hospital for identification [1, 3, 4, 5].
Purja, 43, rose to global fame after setting a record in 2019 by climbing the world’s 14 highest peaks in just over six months. He served with the British Army’s Brigade of Gurkhas and the Royal Navy’s Special Boat Service. His life and climbs were featured in the Netflix documentary "14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible" released in 2021 [1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10].
Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah described the deaths as a national tragedy. He said, "The tragic death of six Nepalese and four other foreign climbers, including world record holder Nirmal Purja, in the Karakoram mountain range of Pakistan, has shocked us. The history of their courage, dedication, and contributions will always remain inspiring" [1].
Nepali climbing leaders also mourned the loss. Ishwori Poudel, senior vice-president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, said, "It is a big loss for not just Nepal but the entire mountaineering community. He inspired so many. We had not seen climbers on the 8,000 peaks like this before him. His contribution for this is huge." Tul Singh Gurung of the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association added, "He showed Nepalis that climbing doesn’t have to be just work, that you can climb for your own fun and passion" [6].
Rescue operations were led by the Pakistani army and local high-altitude climbers, working under difficult weather and terrain [3, 5, 8]. An official statement from Elite Expeditions said, "Today it is with profound sadness and immense heartbreak that we confirm that Nirmal ‘Nimsdai’ Purja tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak. We have also received confirmation that other members of the expedition sadly did not survive" [2].
British adventurer Bear Grylls paid tribute, calling it "heartbreaking news for so many climbers" and praised Purja’s "unstoppable spirit" [9].
On August 1, 2026, Elite Expeditions officially confirmed all deaths from the tragedy, and Nepal’s government publicly mourned the loss [1, 2, 3].
