Netflix climber Nirmal Purja feared dead after Broad Peak avalanche kills four in Pakistan

Fears are growing for one of the world’s most celebrated mountaineers after an avalanche tore through Pakistan’s Broad Peak, leaving multiple climbers dead and several others missing.

Nepali climber Nirmal “Nims” Purja, who rose to international fame through Netflix’s 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, is among six people unaccounted for after the avalanche struck the 8,047-metre mountain in Pakistan’s Karakoram range at about midday local time on Thursday.

Purja, 43, was leading an expedition of 10 climbers when the avalanche swept across the mountain. The group included Pur Bahadur Gurung, Kili Pemba Sherpa, Nima Sherpa, Nawang Thindu Sherpa, Gyalu Sherpa, Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy of Oman, Sohail Sakhi of Pakistan, Wang Zhong of China and Mallory Geis of the United States.

Rescue crews resumed their search on Friday despite difficult weather conditions limiting helicopter operations.

Authorities have confirmed four climbers have died, with two identified as Omani mountaineer Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, the first woman from Oman to summit Mount Everest, and Nepal’s Pur Bahadur Gurung.

The Alpine Club of Pakistan said communication with the expedition was lost immediately after the avalanche, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

“The team could not be reached since the incident.”

In an update on Friday, the organisation said drones had located additional bodies on the mountain, although identities and conditions could not yet be confirmed.

“Bodies of two climbers have been recovered and sent to Skardu by helicopter. Seven climbers (bodies) have been spotted by drone; however, their condition and identities cannot yet be verified.

“Ground rescue team will continue search mission first thing in the morning. K2 expedition teams have voluntarily cancelled their expedition to focus on this mission.”

The club added that authorities from Pakistan, Nepal and the military were all involved in the rescue effort.

“The Government of Pakistan, the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan, the Government of Nepal, and the Pakistan Army are all engaged in the rescue mission.”

Hope remains for some of the missing after Purja’s tracking device reportedly showed signs of movement following the avalanche.

His business partner, Mingma Gyabu Sherpa, told Nepali outlet Kantipur that GPS data indicated the mountaineer may have survived the initial slide.

“Initially, it appeared that he had been swept downhill by the avalanche.

“But after the point where the tracking had stopped, the location appears to have shifted again.”

“We have received information that one person’s location appears to be near the foot of the mountain. A search team has gone there to verify.”

Purja became one of mountaineering’s biggest names in 2019 after climbing all 14 of the world’s peaks above 8,000 metres in just 189 days, shattering the previous record by more than seven years. The extraordinary achievement became the subject of the Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.

A former Gurkha and Royal Marines Special Boat Service soldier, Purja served in the British military for 16 years before dedicating himself to mountaineering full-time. He has since climbed Mount Everest six times, rescued stranded climbers in the notorious “death zone” and established a foundation supporting education initiatives and mountain clean-up projects across Nepal.

In reflecting on his record-breaking achievements, Purja once said:

“It has been a grueling but humbling six months, and I hope to have proven that anything is possible with some determination, self-belief and positivity.

“I could not have made it happen without the unending support of my friends and family who have been in my heart this entire time. We started with nothing, but look how far we’ve come.”

Speaking previously about his motivation, he said he hoped his achievements would inspire future generations of Nepali climbers.

“As a Nepali, I hope my climbs put a spotlight on the talented climbers here.”

“There are always (new) boundaries.

“(That’s) human, that’s what we do.”