Renowned climber Nirmal Purja among 10 mountaineers feared missing after Pakistan avalanche

An avalanche swept across Broad Peak in Pakistan's Karakoram range around midday on Thursday, leaving ten mountaineers unaccounted for and triggering an urgent search operation across one of the world's most unforgiving landscapes. Among the missing is Nirmal Purja, the Nepali climber who holds the record for ascending all fourteen of the world's peaks above 8,000 meters—a feat he accomplished in just over six months in 2019, shattering the previous record of seven years and ten months.

The team caught in the avalanche comprises five Nepali mountaineers led by Purja, along with climbers from Pakistan, Oman, America, and China. Pakistani mountaineering officials identified the Pakistani climber as Sohail Sakhi from Hunza, and noted that the Chinese climber's name is Wang. The entire group has been out of contact since the avalanche struck the 8,047-meter peak. No distress signals have been received, and rescue efforts have been hampered by the extreme altitude and challenging conditions typical of the Karakoram range.

Broad Peak ranks as the world's twelfth highest mountain and is considered among the most technically demanding peaks for expeditions. It sits in what mountaineers call the "death zone"—altitudes where the human body cannot acclimatize and survival depends on rapid descent. Purja had actually not planned to attempt Broad Peak on this expedition. In a post on X published Monday, just before departing for Pakistan, he explained that his original intention was to climb only G2. But recognizing an opportunity, he decided to add Broad Peak to his itinerary. Doing so would leave him just one peak short of becoming the first person in history to climb all fourteen eight-thousanders twice without supplemental oxygen. "This wasn't planned," he wrote. "But opportunities don't scream: they whisper to those already working in silence."

In that same message, Purja had asked Broad Peak for "safe passage up and back down," adding that he took "zero mountains for granted." The words carry particular weight now, given the circumstances.

A glimmer of hope emerged when tracking data suggested movement on Purja's device. Mingma Gyabu Sherpa, a Nepalese lawmaker and business associate of Purja, confirmed to the BBC that the tracking system had recorded position changes, though he clarified that this movement was logged yesterday—before the full scope of the avalanche became clear. The team did not receive detailed information about the incident until Thursday evening, hours after it occurred.

Rescue efforts are mobilizing across the region. Climbers stationed on K2 and K3, two nearby peaks in the Karakoram range, have begun descending from their camps to assist in search operations, according to Mingma Gyabu Sherpa. Members of Imagine Nepal, a commercial mountaineering operator, are also participating in the effort. The Alpine Club of Pakistan released a statement saying that its president, Major General Irfan Arshad, is in constant contact with government authorities and relevant agencies to facilitate immediate search and rescue operations. The club noted that helicopter support and all available rescue resources are being mobilized, subject to weather and operational conditions.

Purja's climbing career began in 2012 when, after walking to Everest base camp, he decided on impulse to climb the mountain itself rather than return home as planned. He joined the British Army in 2003 and became a Royal Marine in 2009. Beyond his record-setting ascents, he holds six Guinness World Records for reaching many of the world's highest peaks in the fastest times. His 2019 expedition to climb all fourteen eight-thousanders in rapid succession transformed the sport and redefined what was considered possible at extreme altitude. Now, with ten climbers missing on one of those same peaks, the mountaineering community waits for word from the rescue teams descending into the Karakoram.