Netflix mountaineering star Nirmal “Nims” Purja has been confirmed dead following a devastating avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak that struck his international climbing expedition.
Purja, 43, was leading a team of climbers up the 26,400-foot mountain when the avalanche swept through the group at around noon on Thursday, July 30.
The disaster occurred between Camp 2 and Camp 3, at an elevation of roughly 21,600 feet, as the climbers were making their summit attempt in Pakistan’s remote Karakoram mountain range.
Purja’s expedition company, Elite Exped, confirmed his death on Saturday, Aug. 1, ending days of uncertainty as rescue teams battled dangerous weather and treacherous conditions on the mountain.
The team included mountaineers from Nepal, the United States, Oman, Pakistan and China.
Authorities initially reported that 10 climbers had been caught in the avalanche. Some later reports said 11 people were involved, although official accounts have differed over the expedition’s exact size.
Among the climbers confirmed dead were American mountaineer Mallory Geis, Omani climbing legend Nadhira Al Harthy and Nepalese climber Pur Bahadur Gurung. Nima Sherpa was also identified among those killed.
Three bodies were recovered and transported to a hospital, while another was initially spotted from the air. Military helicopters, drones, ground crews and experienced high-altitude climbers were deployed as part of the massive search effort.
Poor visibility and harsh weather repeatedly disrupted helicopter flights and forced rescuers to temporarily suspend aerial operations.
Pakistan’s Alpine Club initially said it remained hopeful that the missing climbers could be recovered safely. However, hope faded as rescuers found more evidence of the avalanche’s devastating force.
Broad Peak is the 12th-highest mountain in the world and rises approximately 26,400 feet above sea level. It sits near the Pakistan-China border and is considered one of the most dangerous and challenging peaks in the Karakoram range.
Purja became one of the world’s most recognizable mountaineers after climbing all 14 mountains higher than 8,000 meters in just six months and six days in 2019.
The historic feat shattered the previous record of nearly eight years and became the focus of the 2021 Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.
The Nepal-born British mountaineer was also a former member of the British Special Forces and helped complete the first winter ascent of K2 in January 2021.
Purja had reportedly added Broad Peak to his plans while pursuing another historic achievement. He hoped to become the first climber to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter mountains twice without using supplemental oxygen.
Before setting out, Purja shared a haunting message on social media asking the mountain to let him and his team return safely.
“Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down,” he wrote on X.
His death has sent shock waves through the international mountaineering community, with tributes honoring his record-breaking career, courage and involvement in dangerous high-altitude rescue missions.
The recovery operation remained extraordinarily difficult because of the mountain’s altitude, unstable snow and unpredictable weather.