Who is Nirmal Purja, renowned Nepalese climber missing on Pakistan mountain?
Renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja and his international team are missing following an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan. Rescue operations are currently underway, though four bodies have already been recovered.
Why it matters
The disappearance of a high-profile figure in the mountaineering community has drawn significant international attention to safety risks in high-altitude climbing.
British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja and his 10-member international team are missing following a significant avalanche on Pakistan’s 8,047-metre Broad Peak. The group, last located at 6,600 metres, lost communication on Thursday (July 30, 2026), and an ongoing rescue effort involving the Pakistani Army and the Alpine Club of Pakistan is underway.
While four bodies have been recovered, the search continues for the team, which included experienced climbers from Pakistan, Oman, China and the United States.
Born in Nepal, Purja became famous for his incredible feat of summiting all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters in just over six months under his 2019 “Project Possible” expedition. The 43-year-old had climbed Annapurna, the 10th-highest mountain, on April 23, 2019, which kicked off his mission to climb all of the world’s highest peaks.
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