Ten international climbers led by renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja are feared missing following an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak. Pakistani mountaineering officials reported the disaster struck the 8,047-metre peak at midday on Thursday, triggering an international rescue effort coordinated by the Alpine Club of Pakistan.
An international mountaineering expedition led by record-breaking climber Nirmal Purja is feared missing after a massive avalanche struck Pakistan’s Broad Peak on Thursday. The climbing party, consisting of ten members from multiple nations, lost all communication with officials following the incident on the Karakoram range.
Broad Peak Avalanche Strikes 8,047-Metre Summit
Standing at 8,047 metres—equivalent to 26,400 feet—Broad Peak ranks as the world’s 12th highest mountain and is widely regarded by expeditions as one of the most challenging ascents in the region.
The ten-person team includes climbers representing several countries. According to reporting from the BBC, the group comprises an American, a Chinese national, an Omani, and five Nepalis, alongside the expedition leader.
Alpine Club of Pakistan Coordinates Emergency Rescue Efforts
Rescue operations face severe logistical hurdles dictated by high-altitude weather patterns. Karrar Haidri, vice-president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, outlined the immediate response strategy in an interview published by the BBC.
In a separate official statement, the Alpine Club of Pakistan confirmed it remained in constant contact
with government authorities and pledged that all available resources are mobilised at the earliest opportunity
.
Expedition Leader Nirmal Purja and Mountaineering Background
The expedition is led by Nirmal Purja, a Nepal-born mountaineer who gained global renown in 2019 by climbing all 14 of the world’s mountains exceeding 8,000 metres in just over six months.
Before his civilian mountaineering career, Purja built an extensive military background. He joined the British Army in 2003 and earned selection as a Royal Marine in 2009. His high-altitude climbing career began in 2012 during a walk to Everest base camp, where he opted to continue upward and scale the entire mountain rather than return as originally planned.