The avalanche occurred on Thursday, severing communication with the international team led by 43-year-old British-Nepali climber Purja on Broad Peak, situated in northern Pakistan.
“It is with deep sorrow and great heartbreak that we confirm Nirmal Purja tragically perished due to the avalanche on Broad Peak,” Elite Expeditions, Purja’s company, stated via social media.
“We have also received word that additional expedition members have regrettably not survived,” it added.
The remains retrieved thus far — transported by helicopter to a hospital for formal identification — included an American woman, an Omani woman, and a Nepali man, as reported by the regional government in a statement released on Friday evening.
Purja, a former member of Britain’s Brigade of Gurkhas who later joined the Royal Marines’ Special Boat Squadron, set various climbing records since transitioning to full-time mountaineering and tour guiding.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah extended his condolences for the “tragic” losses of Purja and the other climbers, which he said “has shocked us”.
“The physical journey of all the deceased climbers… has been interrupted, but the legacy of their bravery, commitment, and contributions will always remain inspiring,” Shah remarked on social media.
Authorities in the mountainous northern Gilgit-Baltistan region stated in a report that high-altitude porters and rescue teams were undertaking a second day of operations on Saturday after halting due to adverse weather conditions the previous day.
According to the regional government, rescuers and military helicopters had been surveying the area, and teams stayed at the base camp overnight.
“The rescue operation is being executed in extremely challenging terrain and high-altitude weather conditions by the Pakistani army in collaboration with local high-altitude climbers and rescuers,” it noted.
Severe avalanche
The avalanche struck as the mountaineers aimed to reach the summit of Broad Peak (8,047 metres, or 26,400 feet) on Thursday, while the team was ascending at an altitude of approximately 6,600 metres, according to regional officials.
The expedition included 10 members — among them Purja, five Nepalis, a Pakistani, an Omani, an American, and a climber from China.
The team was last heard from on Thursday morning, as official statements revealed reports of the catastrophic avalanche that evening.
“Data from their tracking devices indicates that they were tossed hundreds of metres down the mountainside,” Naila Kiani from Pakistan’s Alpine Club stated to Le Monde newspaper.
Fida Ali, a climber in the region who had closely collaborated with Purja since 2023, told AFP their focus for the climbing season was to summit Broad Peak, but they first tackled another peak, G2, in severe weather conditions.
Ali briefly joined the initial phases of the Broad Peak expedition but returned early to assist a Russian climber experiencing exhaustion, narrowly escaping the deadly avalanche.
“I wanted to accompany him (Purja) but couldn’t and returned with her. I was part of the team but survived,” he shared with AFP.
Super peaks
Purja had mentioned on X this week that he was close to becoming the first individual to ascend all 14 “super peaks” twice without supplemental oxygen.
“Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down,” he posted.
He previously climbed all 14 “eight-thousanders” (peaks surpassing 8,000 metres) in six months and six days from April to October 2019, a record at the time.
Located in the Karakoram range in northern Pakistan, Broad Peak is the world’s 12th highest mountain and is considered one of the most challenging and technical climbs among those over 8,000 metres.
The peak was first summited in 1957 by an Austrian team.
