Kathmandu, August 1: A devastating avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak has claimed the lives of four climbers, with six others reported missing. Pakistani officials confirmed the incident on Friday.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan has identified the deceased as Pur Bahadur Gurung from Nepal and Nadira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harathi from Oman.
This expedition was led by renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, also known as “Nims Dai.” The team included Gurung “Yukta,” Kili Pemba Sherpa “Kilu,” Nima Sherpa, Nawang Thindu Sherpa, Gyal Sherpa, Nadira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harathi (Oman), Sohel Sakhi (Pakistan), Wang Zhong (China), and Mallory Geis (USA).
Irfan Arshad Khan, president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, shared on Instagram that the bodies of Nadira Al Harathi and Pur Bahadur Gurung “Yukta” were confirmed dead following the avalanche on July 30.
He noted that Nadira’s body is being transported by helicopter to Skardu, while arrangements are being made to recover Yukta’s body. The identities of the other deceased climbers will be disclosed once official information is available.
Khan stated that search and rescue operations are ongoing for the missing individuals, urging everyone to await official updates from the Alpine Club.
The Nepali embassy in Pakistan reported that Ambassador Rita Dhital met with the Alpine Club president to expedite the rescue efforts.
Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that its embassy in Islamabad is in constant contact with Pakistani officials and the Alpine Club to ensure the safe rescue of all affected climbers. The ministry stated, “Pakistani authorities have assured that all available resources will be mobilized for timely rescue.”
Among the missing climbers, Nirmal Purja is the most notable name. Born in Nepal’s Dhaulagiri and raised in Chitwan, Purja is a British citizen. He served 16 years in the military, including six years with the British Gurkhas and ten years with the UK’s Special Boat Service (SBS), becoming the first Gurkha to join the SBS.
Purja began his mountaineering career in 2012. In 2018, he set a world record by summiting Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu in just five days. In 2019, under “Project Possible,” he made history by climbing all 14 peaks over 8,000 meters within six months, breaking the previous record of nearly eight years.
He is renowned worldwide for his rapid acclimatization to high altitudes and high-altitude rescue missions.
Just before the incident, on July 27, Purja posted on Facebook that Broad Peak was not his initial plan. However, if he succeeded, he would become the first person to climb all 14 eight-thousanders twice without supplemental oxygen.
He wrote, “I was not competing against anyone else. My struggle was only with the self from yesterday. Every day, I try to push my limits.”
It is worth noting that Broad Peak, standing at 8,047 meters, is one of the highest peaks in the Karakoram range.
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