Prominent mountaineer Nirmal Purja, featured in a 2021 Netflix documentary, was among ten climbers confirmed dead after an avalanche on the world’s 12th-tallest mountain in Pakistan. The disaster occurred Thursday on the 26,414-foot Broad Peak, part of the Karakoram range.
“The world has lost one of mountaineering’s greatest climbers,”
stated Elite Exped, the expedition company involved, mourning the loss of Purja and others. No words can ease the pain of this loss.
Purja was leading the group attempting to climb Broad Peak. A Pakistani rescue team recovered three bodies on Friday, including American Sarah Mallory Geis. Operations were paused due to challenging weather but resumed Saturday to locate the remaining seven bodies.
Irfan Arshad Khan, president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, remarked on the immense impact of these losses. He acknowledged the risks of high-altitude climbs in the Himalaya and Karakoram while expressing gratitude to those involved in the rescue efforts, including military, Sherpas, and civilians.
Among the climbers were individuals from Pakistan, Nepal, and China. Purja, a British-Nepali, gained fame through the Netflix documentary “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible,” which chronicled his attempt to summit the 14 tallest global peaks in seven months.
British Defense Minister Wes Streeting remembered Purja as an inspirational figure. Purja served many years in the British Armed Forces, including the Gurkhas and later the special forces.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this account, reported by Brie Stimson, a Los Angeles-based writer for Fox News Digital.
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