Nepal-born climber Nirmal Purja, also popularly known as “Nims Dai”, is among the 10 expedition members reported missing after an avalanche struck the Broad Peak mountain in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region.
Mr Purja was leading the multinational expedition team.
Mr Purja first gained global recognition in 2019 when he completed the seemingly impossible feat of climbing all 14 of the world’s peaks higher than 8,000m in just over six months.
The achievement, called “Project Possible”, shattered the previous record of nearly eight years and cemented his place in mountaineering history. His journey was later documented in the Netflix film 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.
His record was surpassed in 2023.
Before becoming a professional mountaineer, Mr Purja served for 16 years in the British military. He joined the British Army in 2003 before going on to serve in the elite Special Boat Service, one of the UK’s special forces units. He comes from a family of Gurkhas, with both his father and brothers having served in the British Army.
His achievements have earned him widespread recognition beyond the climbing community. He was appointed an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 2018 in recognition of his outstanding achievements in mountaineering.
As a naturalised British citizen, he has also been honoured by local authorities in the UK for his achievements.
Eastleigh Borough Council in southern England conferred on him the Honorary Freedom of the Borough, its highest civic distinction, acknowledging both his accomplishments and his contributions to the local Nepali community.
During his Everest ascent in 2019, he captured the now-iconic image of a long queue of climbers waiting to reach the summit. The photograph sparked international debate about overcrowding and safety on the world’s highest mountain.
On July 30, 2026, a massive avalanche struck a summit-bound international mountaineering team on Broad Peak (8,047 meters) in Pakistan’s Karakoram range, leaving four climbers confirmed dead and six others still missing. The incident occurred around midday at an altitude of… pic.twitter.com/wTAI4arUTs
— Tranquil Kilimanjaro Treks (@TripKilimanjaro) July 31, 2026
Over the years, Mr Purja has built a reputation for pushing the limits of human endurance through ambitious expeditions and high-risk rescues in the Himalayas.
Meanwhile, rescue efforts are continuing on Broad Peak, the 8,047-metre mountain in Pakistan’s Karakoram range, after an avalanche struck the expedition on Thursday.
There has been no contact with Mr Purja’s team since the incident.
However, a report in Kantipur said that Mr Purja’s GPS tracking device continued to show signs of movement after the avalanche, according to his business partner, Mingma Gyabu Sherpa.
He said the tracker initially indicated that Mr Purja had been carried downhill by the avalanche before its location shifted again, offering a glimmer of hope about his whereabouts, the outlet said.
However, it remains unclear whether the movement reflects Mr Purja himself or only the tracking device.
Nirmal Purja’s tracker data suggests how violent the avalanche and subsequent fall may have been. The device has shown slight movement over the past few hours, but this should be interpreted with caution, as signal fluctuations and tracking errors are common in high mountain… pic.twitter.com/6CzAXxWULA
— Everest Today (@EverestToday) July 31, 2026
In 2024, Mr Purja was accused of sexual assault and harassment by at least two women, prompting calls to ban him from Mount Everest. Former Miss Finland Lotta Hintsa and April Leonardo from California accused Mr Purja of sexual misconduct during their expeditions with him. The allegations reported by the New York Times shook the mountaineering community.
At the time, his team told The Independent: “The publication’s story makes allegations, these are NOT facts. Nims denies these allegations unequivocally. We maintain the ‘investigation’ by the publication was biased and had a pre-determined narrative and outcome.”
The 10-member expedition to Broad Peak comprised six Nepali climbers – Mr Purja, Pur Bahadur Gurung (also known as Yukta), Kili Pemba Sherpa (also known as Kilu), Nima Sherpa, Nawang Thindu Sherpa and Gyalu Sherpa – along with Omani climber Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi, Chinese climber Wang Zhong, and American climber Mallory Geis,The Himalayan Times reported.
Days before the expedition, Pakistan-based adventure company Moving Mountains said the team had set off for Askole, the gateway to the Karakoram climbing season, before beginning their ascent of Broad Peak.
The company noted that the expedition marked Ms Geis’s first attempt at an 8,000-metre mountain in Pakistan, while it was expected to be Mr Sakhi’s final climb of a peak above that altitude.
Gilgit-Baltistan police say that preliminary reports indicate that four bodies have been recovered from Broad Peak following the avalanche, although the victims have not yet been identified, according to the BBC.
THE MISSION SHIFTS. THE COMPASS HOLDS.
— Nirmal Purja MBE (@nimsdai) July 27, 2026
This was never the plan. Initially, the plan was to climb just G2. But just before setting off for Pakistan, I ran the numbers on my 8000m summits. That’s when it hit me: if I tick off Broad Peak whilst I’m here , only one remains “Cho… pic.twitter.com/rovJzFcazP
Authorities said efforts to gather information about the remaining climbers are ongoing as search and rescue operations continue.
In the earlier statement, ACP said: “The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) has received deeply concerning reports of an avalanche that struck a team of climbers on Broad Peak (8,047m) in the Karakoram mountain range around midday today.
“President of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, Major General Irfan Arshad, HI(M), along with the senior leadership of the Club, is in constant contact with the highest government authorities and all relevant agencies to facilitate an immediate search and rescue operation.
“Every possible effort is being made to ensure that helicopter support and all available rescue resources are mobilised at the earliest opportunity, subject to weather and operational conditions.
“The Alpine Club of Pakistan is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with all concerned stakeholders.
“The Club prays for the safety and successful rescue of all the climbers and stands in solidarity with their families and the international mountaineering community during this difficult time.”
Lhakpa Sherpa, founder of 8K Expeditions and a famous climber himself, wrote on Facebook: “It is heartbreaking to wake up to the distressing news from Broad Peak.”
He called Mr Purja a “dear friend and brother” who has “elevated Nepal’s mountaineering community to the global stage”.
