Skardu :The deaths of nine climbers, including world-famous Nepali-born British mountaineer Nirmal Purja, have been confirmed following a devastating avalanche on Broad Peak, the world’s 12th highest mountain, located in Gilgit-Baltistan. Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi remains missing, and the search for him continues.
According to the Alpine Club of Pakistan, rescue personnel managed to reach Nirmal Purja’s body at an altitude of approximately 5,700 meters, while the bodies of three other foreign climbers have also been recovered. Rescue operations are facing severe difficulties due to bad weather, snowfall, and treacherous terrain.
The accident occurred on Thursday when a 10-member international climbing team, led by Nirmal Purja, was on a Broad Peak expedition. Contact with the team was lost after the avalanche struck, and the expedition company later confirmed that no member had survived.
Officials said the recovered bodies include an Omani woman, a Nepali citizen, and an American woman, all of whom have been transported to Skardu. The expedition also included a Chinese national and other Nepali climbers.
Who was Nirmal Purja?
The 43-year-old Nirmal Purja, widely known as "Nims Dai,” was regarded as one of the most accomplished mountaineers of the modern era. In 2019, he set a world record by summiting all 14 of the world’s highest peaks in just six months, which brought him international fame.
In 2021, a Netflix documentary based on his extraordinary achievements, 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, was released.
Nirmal Purja was born near the Dhaulagiri region of Nepal and joined the British Army’s Gurkha Regiment in his youth. He later served with the Royal Navy Special Boat Service (SBS). After leaving military service, he devoted himself fully to mountaineering and set multiple world records in a short span, including six Guinness World Records.
Just days before departing for the Broad Peak expedition, Nirmal Purja had written on social media that if he summited this peak, he would move closer to becoming the first climber in history to summit all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters twice without supplemental oxygen. His death has drawn deep sorrow and condolences from Nepal, Britain, and the global mountaineering community.
Sohail Sakhi still missing
Sohail Sakhi is a highly respected 35-year-old Pakistani mathematician and elite high-altitude mountaineer from the Hunza Valley who has earned global recognition for his technical prowess and ethical climbing style. By successfully summiting towering peaks like K2, Gasherbrum I, pic.twitter.com/oJM0vuZlZ8
— Rooh Ul Ameen (@roohulamin1995) August 1, 2026
Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi remains missing following the avalanche on Broad Peak, as rescue teams continue the search for and recovery of remaining bodies.
Major General (Retd) Irfan Arshad, President of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, said Pakistani authorities have not yet confirmed Sohail Sakhi’s death, noting that bad weather and difficult terrain are making rescue operations extremely challenging.
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Related developments
Irfan Arshad said four bodies have been recovered so far, with the fourth identified as Nepali climber Gyalu Sherpa. He explained that the body was spotted by helicopter, after which a ground team moved it to base camp before it was flown to Skardu.
Meanwhile, Purja’s expedition company, Elite Expeditions, has stated that all 10 climbers on the expedition lost their lives in the avalanche.
Nirmal Purja Group
The group included Nirmal Purja and his five Nepali teammates, Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi, two female climbers from the United States and Oman, and one Chinese climber.Officials first confirmed the deaths of Omani climber Nadira Ahmed Al-Harthy, American climber Miluse Guys, and Nepali sherpa Yukta.
According to GPS data shared by Samson Sharaf, mentor of one of the missing climbers, the avalanche struck between 8:57 and 9:30 AM local time, during which Al-Harthy fell 1,651 meters (5,417 feet).
Al-Harthy became the first Omani woman to summit Mount Everest in 2019. She later summited several other major peaks, including Manaslu, K2, and Nanga Parbat , becoming the first Omani woman to reach the summit of K2 in 2022, and later summiting Nanga Parbat in 2024.
