Nirmal Purja Among Six Still Missing
Nirmal Purja Among Six Still Missing After Deadly Broad Peak Avalanche in Pakistan; Four Bodies Recovered
Broad Peak, Pakistan | 31 July 2026
The international mountaineering community is anxiously awaiting news from Pakistan's Broad Peak after a major avalanche struck a group of climbers on Thursday, leaving 10 mountaineers unaccounted for. Search and rescue teams have so far located four bodies, while six climbers remain missing, including renowned Nepali mountaineer Nirmal “Nims Dai” Purja.
The incident occurred on Broad Peak (8,047 metres), the world's 12th-highest mountain, in Pakistan's Karakoram range. The avalanche struck the climbing route between Camp 2 and Camp 3 at approximately 6,600 metres, according to reports from Pakistani authorities and the Alpine Club of Pakistan.
Nirmal Purja Among the Missing
Nirmal Purja, widely known as “Nims Dai,” was leading the expedition through his company, Elite Exped. He is one of the world's most celebrated high-altitude mountaineers and became internationally famous after climbing all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre peaks in record time in 2019.
Purja's extraordinary achievement was later featured in the Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, bringing his story and Nepal's mountaineering community to a global audience. He subsequently continued pursuing major high-altitude objectives and became one of the most recognisable figures in modern Himalayan and Karakoram mountaineering.
At the time of the Broad Peak accident, Purja was attempting another major mountaineering objective. Reports indicate that he was seeking to progress toward completing another round of the world's 8,000-metre peaks, reportedly without supplemental oxygen.
What Happened on Broad Peak?
The climbing team was ascending Broad Peak when an avalanche swept through the area between Camp 2 and Camp 3. Trackers carried by members of the expedition recorded a sudden loss of altitude, consistent with the team being caught in an avalanche.
The accident occurred at roughly 6,600 metres, an extremely dangerous section of the mountain where steep terrain, unstable snow and rapidly changing weather can create severe avalanche hazards.
The exact sequence of events remains under investigation, and authorities have not yet provided a complete reconstruction of the accident.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan reported that it received deeply concerning information about the avalanche and the loss of communication with the climbers. Pakistani authorities subsequently mobilised search-and-rescue resources, including military helicopters.
Four Bodies Located
Search teams have now located four bodies in the avalanche area.
Two of the deceased have been identified:
Pur Bahadur Gurung, a Nepali high-altitude mountain worker and guide associated with Purja's expedition.
Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, an Omani mountaineer who had previously climbed major Himalayan and Karakoram peaks.
The identities of the other two recovered bodies had not been publicly confirmed in the latest reports available at the time of publication.
The recovery of the four bodies has increased concerns for the six people who remain missing, but search authorities continue to work to locate them.
Six Climbers Still Missing
The remaining six missing climbers include Nirmal Purja and other members of the international expedition community.
Reports have identified climbers and high-altitude personnel from several countries, including Nepal, Pakistan, the United States, Oman and China. Among those reported missing are American climber Mallory Geis, Chinese climber Wang Zhong, Pakistani mountaineer Sohail Sakhi, and Nepali members of the expedition.
There have been some discrepancies in early reports regarding the precise nationality breakdown of the 10 people involved. Authorities and news organisations have continued updating the list as information is verified. Therefore, individual names and nationalities should be treated as provisional until officially confirmed.
A Glimmer of Hope: Movement Detected on Purja's Tracker
One of the most closely watched developments concerns Purja's tracking device.
Reports indicate that movement was detected by Purja's GPS tracker after the avalanche, following a significant drop in altitude. This has generated hope that he may have survived the initial avalanche.
However, it is important to emphasise that GPS movement does not by itself confirm that Purja is alive or conscious. Search teams are attempting to determine what the signal means and whether it can help locate him.
No independent authority had confirmed his condition at the time of publication.
Rescue Operation Faces Extreme Challenges
The rescue operation is being conducted under extremely difficult high-altitude conditions.
Pakistan has deployed military helicopter resources to search the mountain and surrounding avalanche debris. However, weather, strong winds, difficult terrain, altitude and the remoteness of the accident site are significantly complicating the operation.
Helicopter operations at these elevations are inherently challenging, and crews must balance the urgency of the rescue with aviation safety.
Search teams are therefore using a combination of aerial reconnaissance, visual searches, tracking information and ground-based efforts where conditions permit.
The search has also been affected by deteriorating weather conditions, with authorities indicating that operations would continue as weather and operational conditions allow.
Broad Peak: One of the World's Great Mountaineering Challenges
At 8,047 metres, Broad Peak is the world's 12th-highest mountain. It is located in the Karakoram range of northern Pakistan near K2.
Although Broad Peak is sometimes described as technically more straightforward than some other 8,000-metre mountains, its altitude and severe environmental conditions make it an extremely dangerous climbing objective.
At elevations above 6,000 metres, climbers face a combination of:
Extreme cold
Low oxygen levels
High winds
Avalanches
Rock and ice fall
Unstable snow conditions
Rapidly changing weather
Physical and mental exhaustion
Limited access for rescue teams
The latest accident once again demonstrates that even the world's most experienced mountaineers remain vulnerable to objective mountain hazards.
Purja's Extraordinary Mountaineering Legacy
Nirmal Purja's possible disappearance has generated enormous international attention because of his exceptional contribution to modern mountaineering.
In 2019, Purja completed all 14 mountains above 8,000 metres in just over six months, dramatically reducing the previous record. His achievement became known as Project Possible 14/7 and transformed his reputation from a highly accomplished climber into a global mountaineering icon.
He also became part of the team that achieved the first winter ascent of K2 in January 2021, another landmark achievement in Himalayan and Karakoram climbing.
His career has also highlighted the growing international recognition of Nepali climbers, guides and high-altitude workers, whose skills are fundamental to expeditions on the world's highest mountains.
Elite Exped, the expedition company associated with Purja, describes itself as specialising in high-altitude expeditions led by experienced mountaineers, including Purja, Mingma David Sherpa and Tejan Gurung.
A Tragedy Beyond National Borders
The Broad Peak incident has become an international mountaineering emergency involving climbers and mountain workers from several countries.
For Nepal, the incident carries particular significance. Nepali mountaineers and high-altitude workers have played an indispensable role in the development of Himalayan and international expedition tourism for decades.
The reported loss of Pur Bahadur Gurung, alongside the continued uncertainty surrounding Purja and other climbers, has therefore generated deep concern within Nepal's mountaineering community.
The tragedy also highlights the fact that the global high-altitude climbing industry depends not only on elite international climbers but also on the knowledge, skills, labour and courage of Nepali mountain professionals.
Why the Incident Matters to Nepal's Tourism Industry
The Broad Peak accident is more than an isolated mountaineering tragedy. It raises important questions about mountain safety, international rescue coordination, expedition regulation, emergency preparedness and the future of high-altitude tourism.
Nepal has developed considerable expertise in mountain rescue, expedition logistics and high-altitude operations. The country's experience demonstrates the importance of having rapid-response mechanisms capable of mobilising helicopters, specialist rescue personnel, weather information, communication systems and tracking technology.
The Broad Peak incident may therefore encourage renewed international discussion about:
Cross-border mountain rescue cooperation
Real-time satellite and GPS tracking of expedition members
Mandatory emergency communication systems
International helicopter rescue protocols
Improved avalanche forecasting
Greater sharing of mountain-weather intelligence
Stronger cooperation between tourism authorities, expedition operators and rescue agencies
International standards for high-altitude expedition safety
Such measures are particularly important as mountaineering continues to attract climbers from around the world to the Himalayan and Karakoram regions.
The Mountaineering World Waits for News
For now, the focus remains firmly on the search for the six missing climbers.
The discovery of movement on Purja's tracker has provided a reason for cautious hope, but his condition and exact location remain unconfirmed. Rescue teams continue to face a race against time while dealing with one of the world's most hostile environments.
The mountaineering community, the families of the climbers and people across Nepal and other affected countries are watching the rescue operation closely.
The Broad Peak disaster is a stark reminder that experience, technology and preparation can reduce risk, but they cannot eliminate the unpredictable forces of the high mountains.
As rescue teams continue their efforts, the international mountaineering community remains united in hope for the safe recovery of those still missing and in solidarity with the families of those whose deaths have been confirmed.
This story will be updated as verified information becomes available.
Latest confirmed status at the time of publication — 31 July 2026
Mountain: Broad Peak, Pakistan
Elevation: 8,047 metres
Incident: Avalanche
Approximate incident altitude: 6,600 metres
People reported missing: 10
Bodies located: 4
Still missing: 6
Among those missing: Nirmal “Nims Dai” Purja
Confirmed deceased: Pur Bahadur Gurung (Nepal) and Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy (Oman), with two other recovered bodies awaiting identification
Rescue: Pakistani authorities and military helicopter resources involved
Status: Search and rescue operation ongoing
Important: Reports of movement from Purja's tracker have not been independently confirmed as proof that he is alive.
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