Renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja missing after Pakistan avalanche
An avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak has left ten international climbers missing, including renowned expedition leader Nirmal Purja, underscoring the severe risks facing the commercial high-altitude tourism industry.
Rescuers in northern Pakistan have recovered four bodies and are searching for six missing climbers after an avalanche struck Broad Peak. The international expedition was led by Nirmal Purja, a celebrated Nepali mountaineer and former British army soldier who remains among the missing.
Purja gained global recognition after summiting the world’s 14 highest peaks in a record 189 days in 2019. The ten-person team included five Nepali climbers, an Omani, an American, a Chinese national, another foreign climber, and Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi.
The group lost contact with their base camp on Thursday while attempting to scale the 8,047-metre mountain, according to Karrar Haidri, vice president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan. Army helicopters have been deployed to assist in the search, though harsh weather is hindering recovery efforts.
Commercial expedition risks
The tragedy highlights the inherent dangers of commercial mountaineering in the Karakoram range, a sector that draws significant international tourism revenue. Accidents remain frequent in northern Pakistan due to unpredictable weather and avalanches, posing severe operational challenges for expedition companies. Broad Peak itself is the world’s 12th-highest mountain and regularly attracts global climbing tourists.
The expedition was organized by Moving Mountains, a Pakistan-based travel company that announced the team's departure to Askole late last month. Among the clients was Mallory Geis, a 39-year-old American who closed her Pilates studio to attempt her first 8,000-metre peak.
Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi, a geographer and high-altitude photographer working for the company, was also on what was expected to be his final major climb. The incident has prompted international diplomatic responses, with China’s foreign ministry confirming it is urgently working to verify the situation regarding a missing Chinese climber identified only as Wang.
Beijing has offered assistance to Pakistani authorities as the recovery mission continues. Purja previously completed the first winter ascent of K2 in 2021 alongside a team of nine other Nepalese climbers, and his 2019 speed record was ultimately surpassed in 2023.
