New Delhi: Renowned Nepali mountaineer Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja has been confirmed dead after a massive avalanche struck Broad Peak in the Karakoram range of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK), bringing a tragic end to the search for one of the world’s greatest high-altitude climbers.
The confirmation came through a statement issued by Elite Exped, the expedition company associated with Purja, two days after he and nine other climbers were reported missing following the avalanche. The 43-year-old was leading an expedition to the 8,051-metre peak when communication with the team was lost on Thursday afternoon.
Six climbers from Nepal and one each from Pakistan, Oman, the US, and China made up the expedition. Pakistani mountaineer Sohail Sakhi was also among the team members.
Paying tribute, Elite Exped described Purja as “one of mountaineering’s greatest climbers” whose courage, humility and determination inspired millions around the world. Nepal Prime Minister Balen Shah also expressed grief, saying that although mountaineers sometimes never return from the mountains they love, their courage and achievements remain immortal.
Purja rose to global fame in 2019 by scaling all 14 mountains above 8,000 metres in just over six months, shattering the previous world record. His extraordinary achievement was later documented in the acclaimed Netflix film “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.”
Before becoming a professional climber, Purja served for 16 years in the British military, including the elite Special Boat Service (SBS), and was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2018 for his distinguished military service.
Broad Peak, the world’s 12th-highest mountain, lies near K2 in the Karakoram range and is regarded as one of the most technically demanding and dangerous peaks to climb. The tragedy has sent shockwaves through the global mountaineering community, with tributes pouring in for a climber widely admired for redefining the limits of human endurance.