Latest Update: Broad Peak Search Suspended as Weather Worsens
There was no new confirmed information about Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja or the other missing climbers by Friday evening.
The search-and-rescue operation on Broad Peak was temporarily suspended after worsening weather and difficult operational conditions prevented teams from safely continuing the mission. Rescuers are expected to resume the search on Saturday, August 1, if the weather improves and conditions permit.
The operation has involved Pakistan Army helicopters, high-altitude porters and experienced ground rescuers attempting to reach the avalanche zone.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan confirmed the deaths of Nepali climbing guide Pur Bahadur “Yukta” Gurung and prominent Omani mountaineer Nadhira Al Harthy. Their bodies were transported from the mountain towards Skardu with helicopter support.
Wider reports state that rescuers located four bodies following the avalanche. However, only Gurung and Al Harthy had been publicly identified in the most detailed confirmed updates available. The identities and recovery status of the other two remained unclear.
Purja and the remaining members of the multinational expedition were still unaccounted for. No official source had confirmed direct contact with them or provided evidence that any of the missing climbers had been found alive.
The temporary suspension does not mean the search has ended. Rescue teams remain prepared to return to the mountain when visibility, weather and high-altitude flying conditions improve.
Until then, Nepal and the international mountaineering community continue to wait and pray for Nimsdai and his team.
world-renowned Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, a former British special forces member is among 10 climbers caught in a deadly avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak
Pakistani rescuers have found four bodies following a devastating avalanche on Broad Peak, while internationally renowned Nepal-born mountaineer Nirmal Purja ‘Nims Dai’ and other members of the ten-person expedition remain unaccounted for.
The avalanche struck the international climbing team on Thursday, July 30, at approximately 6,600 metres on Broad Peak in Pakistan’s Karakoram Range.
Two Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters have joined the search-and-rescue operation, but poor visibility, unstable weather and the mountain’s remote terrain continue to make the mission extremely difficult.
Four bodies found near the avalanche site
Reuters reported that Pakistani search teams had located four bodies near the avalanche site. At the time of its latest report, authorities had not publicly released their identities. The Associated Press also reported that four bodies had been found as rescuers continued searching for the other members of the expedition.
Separate reports, including The Guardian, identified two of the victims as:
Pur Bahadur Gurung – Nepal
Nadhira Al Harthy – Oman
However, because Reuters said the identities had not yet been officially released, the two names should be treated as reported identifications pending a complete formal announcement from Pakistani authorities or the families concerned.
The identities of the other two bodies had not been reliably confirmed at the time this article was updated.
Nirmal Purja remains unaccounted for
Purja, popularly known as Nims Dai, remains missing. No government authority, rescue organisation, expedition company or family representative has confirmed that he has been found alive, contacted or identified among the dead.
Reports that Purja’s GPS tracking device changed position after the avalanche have raised hope among his supporters and members of the climbing community.
However, movement of a tracking device does not prove that Purja personally moved or that he survived the avalanche. A device could be displaced by snow, ice or avalanche debris, and rescuers must physically reach the transmitted location before drawing any conclusion.
No direct satellite message, telephone call or confirmed visual contact with Purja has been reported since the avalanche.
Who were the ten climbers?
The expedition included climbers from Nepal, Pakistan, Oman, United States and China.
Reuters reported that Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said six of the ten climbers were Nepali. The Associated Press described the group as including five Nepali climbers, Pakistani guide and photographer Sohail Sakhi, American climber Mallory Geis, an Omani climber, a Chinese climber identified as Wang and another expedition member.
Specialist and international reports have circulated a more detailed roster, but Pakistani authorities had not published a definitive official expedition manifest when this article was prepared.
The reported names include:
1. Nirmal Purja ‘Nims Dai’ – Nepal-born British mountaineer
2. Pur Bahadur ‘Yukta’ Gurung – Nepal
3. Nima Sherpa – Nepal
4. Nawang Thindu Sherpa – Nepal
5. Gyalu Sherpa – Nepal
6. Kili Pemba Sherpa – Nepal
7. Sohail Sakhi – Pakistan
8. Mallory Geis – United States
9. Nadhira Al Harthy – Oman
10. Wang Zhong – China
Because early reports have contained differences in names, spellings and nationality counts, this list should remain attributed to media and mountaineering-industry reporting until authorities release a final verified manifest.
Helicopters and ground teams continue the search
Pakistan Army helicopters have been deployed to support rescuers working around the avalanche zone.
Broad Peak’s altitude and terrain make both aerial and ground operations exceptionally dangerous. Strong winds, poor visibility, unstable snow and limited helicopter landing options can delay access even when rescuers have approximate tracking coordinates.
The search area is also far from major settlements and medical facilities. Reaching the climbers may require rescuers to cross avalanche debris and climb through dangerous high-altitude terrain.
Pakistani authorities, the Alpine Club of Pakistan and local mountaineers have been coordinating the operation. Nepal and China have also expressed concern and offered support connected to their nationals involved in the incident.
What happened on Broad Peak?
Tracking information reportedly placed the expedition at around 6,600 metres before the avalanche struck.
The incident happened while the group was climbing between the mountain’s higher camps. The team subsequently lost communication, prompting the Alpine Club of Pakistan and government agencies to organise an urgent rescue response.
Broad Peak stands at approximately 8,047 metres and is considered the world’s 12th-highest mountain. It lies near K2 in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region and is one of the world’s 14 mountains above 8,000 metres.
Despite its name, Broad Peak presents serious dangers. Climbers face avalanches, crevasses, extreme cold, sudden storms and prolonged exposure to low oxygen levels.
Who is Nirmal Purja?
Purja is one of the most internationally recognised figures in modern mountaineering.
He gained global attention in 2019 after climbing all 14 mountains above 8,000 metres in 189 days. His expedition was documented in the Netflix film ‘14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible’.
A former member of the British military, Purja has led numerous high-altitude expeditions and participated in difficult mountain rescue operations.
The news of his disappearance has prompted an outpouring of concern from Nepal and the global climbing community.
Prayers for Nirmal Purja and the entire team
Our thoughts and prayers are with Nirmal Purja, every member of the Broad Peak expedition and their families as they wait for verified information.
We also remember the climbers whose bodies have been found and extend our deepest sympathy to their loved ones.
May rescuers safely reach those who remain missing. May the families receive strength during this painful uncertainty, and may everyone involved in the rescue operation be protected as they work in dangerous mountain conditions.
Readers are urged not to share social-media posts claiming that Purja or another missing climber has been rescued or confirmed dead unless the information comes directly from Pakistani authorities, the Alpine Club of Pakistan, expedition organisers or the climbers’ families.
Editor’s note: This is a developing story. The number and identities of those found, missing or rescued may change as authorities complete the search, recovery and identification process.
