Veteran Mountaineer Nirmal Purja's Body Found Three Days After Broad Peak Avalanche

Veteran mountaineer Nirmal Purja's body was recovered three days after a deadly avalanche on Broad Peak killed all 10 climbers.

Purja made history in 2019 by climbing all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres in just six months and six days.

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Nepalese-British mountaineer Nirmal Purja's body recovered from Broad Peak.
• Purja and nine other climbers swept away in an avalanche.
• Five bodies found; hazardous weather hinders ongoing recovery efforts.

The body of veteran Nepalese-British mountaineer Nirmal Purja has been recovered, three days after he and nine fellow climbers were swept away in an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's Gilgit-Baltistan region. The 43-year-old was found at an altitude of around 5,700 metres, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP). Five bodies have now been recovered from the mountain, while rescue teams continue searching for the remaining climbers amid hazardous terrain and adverse weather conditions that have hampered recovery efforts.

Recovery Continues

The ACP said Purja's body was located by a ground rescue team at approximately 5,700 metres on Broad Peak. Three additional bodies were also sighted nearby, although their identities have yet to be confirmed.

Rescuers plan to transport the bodies to the Japanese Camp before bringing them down the mountain. The operation has been complicated by steep slopes, the continued risk of avalanches and poor weather, which has prevented helicopters from assisting with the recovery.

Purja and nine other climbers were caught in an avalanche on Thursday while attempting to scale Broad Peak in the Karakoram range near K2. The group included five climbers from Nepal, one each from Pakistan, Oman, the United States and China.

On Saturday, Purja's expedition company, Elite Exped, announced that all members of the expedition had died.

A Mountaineering Legend

Four bodies were recovered on Friday, three of which were identified as Oman's Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, Nepal's Pur Bahadur Gurung and American Mallory Geis. They were airlifted to Skardu in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Purja was regarded as one of the world's most accomplished mountaineers. In 2019, he made history by climbing all 14 mountains above 8,000 metres in just six months and six days, smashing the previous record.

He had returned to Broad Peak as part of his mission to become the first climber to summit all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre peaks for a second time.

Broad Peak, the world's 12th-highest mountain, is considered one of the most technically demanding peaks, with its unpredictable weather and avalanche-prone slopes posing significant risks even to the most experienced climbers.