Rescue teams successfully recovered the body of Nirmal Purja, the legendary British-Nepalese mountaineer, on Mount Broad Peak, Pakistan, on Sunday (2/8/2026). The 43-year-old was declared dead alongside nine members of his expedition after being hit by a massive avalanche in the Karakoram mountain range.
According to official information from the Alpine Club of Pakistan, the body of the climber, widely known as "Nimsdai", was found at an altitude of approximately 5,700 meters above sea level. Near the recovery site, rescue teams also managed to evacuate the bodies of three other climbers to be taken to the Japanese Camp for further processing.
Prior to the discovery of Purja's body, local authorities had identified several victims from the Elite Expeditions team who also perished. They were Mallory Geis from the United States, Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy from Oman, and a Nepalese guide, Pur Bahadur Gurung. In total, the disaster claimed the lives of ten climbers, consisting of six Nepalese and four foreign nationals.
The loss of these adventurers has sparked deep international mourning. Nepal's Prime Minister, Balendra Shah, expressed profound condolences over the tragedy that befell the mountain heroes. Similar messages of condolence came from the United Kingdom, with Prince William and Defence Secretary Wes Streeting paying tribute to Purja's extraordinary dedication in both the military and extreme adventure fields.
Nirmal Purja became widely known after making history in 2019 by conquering the world's 14 highest peaks over 8,000 meters in just 189 days. This fantastic record shattered the previous record, which had taken more than seven years. The inspiring story of this extreme conquest was immortalized in the popular Netflix documentary titled 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.
Before dedicating his life to professional climbing, Purja had a distinguished 16-year military career in the British Armed Forces, including ten years in the special forces. He was also recorded as the first Gurkha soldier to climb Mount Everest while on active duty, an achievement for which he was awarded the honorary title of MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2018.
