The remains of renowned British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja and three other mountaineers have been found on Broad Peak in Pakistan, officials confirmed Sunday. The group was part of a 10-member international expedition that was swept away by an avalanche.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan identified the recovered climbers as Purja, Wang Zhong, Nima Sherpa, and Kili Pemba Sherpa. Military and civilian rescuers, along with volunteers, were involved in the recovery effort.
Earlier, rescuers had located four other bodies but could only recover three – Omani Nathira Ahmed, American Mallory Geis, and Nepalese Bahadur Gurung – due to harsh weather grounding search-and-rescue helicopters. Efforts resumed on Sunday to find the two remaining missing climbers, while teams worked to bring down the bodies recovered by the ground team.
Purja, a former British Army soldier born in Nepal, was widely known as Nims Dai. In 2019, he set a record by climbing the world's 14 highest peaks in 189 days, a feat later documented in the Netflix film “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.” His record has since been surpassed.
Purja's expedition company described him as “a leader who inspired millions through his courage, humility and unwavering belief that human potential is far greater than we often imagine.” The Alpine Club of Pakistan President Irfan Arshad Khan called the tragedy “an immeasurable loss to the global mountaineering fraternity.”
A statement from Mallory Geis' family stated, “Mallory was a bright light who was loved deeply by her family and friends. She will be profoundly missed.”
The expedition also included Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi, a geographer and high-altitude photographer who had climbed several major peaks. His body remained missing as of Sunday.
Accidents are a known risk on climbing expeditions in northern Pakistan, often caused by avalanches, falling ice and rock, extreme altitudes, and rapidly changing weather conditions.