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Nepali mountaineering legend Nirmal Purja dies in avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak
Nirmal Purja, who climbed all 14 eight-thousanders in record time, lost his life in an avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak. Nepal's Prime Minister confirmed the death of Purja and other climbers in his team.
An avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak claimed the life of world-renowned Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja. Purja's tourism company Elite Exped confirmed the tragic accident in an Instagram statement.
In its post, Elite Exped said: "Today, with deep sadness and unbearable pain, we confirm that Nirmal 'Nimsdai' Purja tragically lost his life in an avalanche on Broad Peak. We have also confirmed that, unfortunately, the other expedition participants did not survive." The statement emphasized that one of the world's greatest mountaineers had been lost.
The 43-year-old Purja was caught in an avalanche while climbing the 8,047-meter Broad Peak on July 30. According to GPS data, the climber was at an altitude of 6,660 meters at the time of the accident and was swept down more than 600 meters within just 30 minutes. The device of Omani climber Nadhira Al Harthi recorded a fall of 1,600 meters.
Elite Exped co-founder Mingma Gyabu Sherpa said that they initially hoped Purja might be alive because his GPS signals continued to move, but rescue efforts were halted due to bad weather conditions. Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah confirmed the death of Purja and all team members in a statement on August 1, saying: "Their courage, dedication and legacy will remain a source of inspiration forever."
A record-breaking career
Born in a small village in Nepal, Nirmal Purja joined the Gurkha brigade of the British Army in 2003. In 2009, he became the first Gurkha to be accepted into the British Royal Navy Special Forces. Introduced to mountaineering in 2012, Purja quickly turned into a passionate climber. He made a name for himself in 2017 by climbing Everest, Lhotse and Makalu in just five days.
Purja earned major fame in 2019 by climbing all 14 eight-thousanders in just 189 days, shattering the previous record of around eight years. In 2024, he set a new record by summiting all these peaks without supplementary oxygen. Queen Elizabeth II awarded him the British Empire Medal in 2018 for his outstanding mountaineering achievements.
His final goal and climb
Purja originally had no plans for Broad Peak in 2026. However, at the end of July, he changed his mind and headed to the summit leading a team of 10 professional climbers. In a post on his X account, he wrote: "Shortly before leaving for Pakistan, I recounted my climbs above 8,000 meters. If I summit Broad Peak now, only Cho Oyu will remain. That way, I will be the FIRST person in history to climb all 14 eight-thousanders twice. Without oxygen."
The mountaineer always said he wanted to "show that humans have no limits." His story reached millions through the 2021 Netflix documentary "14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible." Purja's death caused great sadness in the mountaineering community.
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