Nirmal “Nims” Purja among 10 climbers missing after Broad Peak avalanche
Last updated: July 31, 2026 — This is a developing story and will be updated as verified information becomes available.
Nepali-born mountaineer Nirmal “Nims” Purja is among 10 climbers missing after a massive avalanche struck Broad Peak (8,047 meters) in Pakistan’s Karakoram range Thursday, July 30, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan.
The avalanche hit the mountain’s upper slopes in the morning as the team was pushing toward the summit. All contact with the expedition was lost after the slide, and no survivors or casualties have been confirmed.
“The entire team has reportedly been out of communication since the avalanche,” Karrar Haidri, senior vice president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, said in a statement.
A search and rescue operation is underway. Pakistani authorities are coordinating with military units to deploy helicopters as soon as weather conditions on the mountain allow.
Who is missing
According to the Alpine Club of Pakistan, the 10-member international team includes:
– Five Nepali climbers led by Purja, who was heading the Elite Exped team
– Sohail Sakhi, a Pakistani guide from Hunza
– Mallory Geis, an American climber
– Nathira, an Omani mountaineer
– A Chinese climber identified as Wang
– One additional foreign climber whose name has not been released
The names of the other Nepali high-altitude workers have not yet been made public.
A delayed alarm
One detail has raised questions about the rescue timeline. The avalanche struck around 9 a.m. Thursday, but according to ExplorersWeb, the alarm was not raised until nearly 13 hours later — around 10 p.m. — despite teams having staff at base camp.
“We are all shocked,” Naila Kiani of the Alpine Club of Pakistan told ExplorersWeb. The delay cost rescuers a full day of daylight when helicopters might have reached the site.
Tracking data from the expedition reportedly showed a rapid descent consistent with an avalanche.
Days after his 57th 8,000-meter summit
The avalanche came just nine days after Purja climbed Gasherbrum II (8,035 meters) without supplemental oxygen on July 21 — the 57th successful 8,000-meter ascent of his career.
Purja, 43, was nearing completion of his “Hat-Trick Project,” an attempt to climb all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks three times. Only Cho Oyu remained.
The former British Special Boat Service soldier from Myagdi, Nepal, rose to global fame in 2019 when he summited all 14 eight-thousanders in six months and six days, a feat documented in the Netflix film “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.” He is the co-founder of the guiding company Elite Exped and runs the Nimsdai Foundation, which funds education and community projects across Nepal, including a recently opened porter shelter in the Everest region.
Read our full profile: Nirmal “Nims” Purja biography
About Broad Peak
Broad Peak is the world’s 12th-highest mountain, standing on the Pakistan-China border near K2. It is not considered among the most technically difficult 8,000-meter peaks, but its altitude, unstable weather and avalanche exposure make it dangerous, particularly after heavy snowfall.
The avalanche struck during the busiest stretch of the Karakoram summer season, with expeditions active on Broad Peak, K2 and the Gasherbrums. Four teams were on Broad Peak at the time, including groups from Elite Exped, Imagine Nepal and Seven Summit Treks.
Nepal’s climbing community, along with families of the missing, is awaiting news as the search continues.