Purja's tracking device initially showed movement after Thursday's avalanche, raising hopes he had survived.4 min readAug 2, 2026 11:49 AM IST First published on: Aug 2, 2026 at 11:49 AM IST ShareWhatsapptwitterFacebookmountaineer Nirmal Purja, popularly known as 'Nimsdai', has died after an avalanche hit Broad Peak in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's Gilgit-Baltistan. (Photo: X/@nimsdai)Mountaineer Nirmal Purja, known as Nimsdai, has died after an avalanche struck Broad Peak in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s Gilgit-Baltistan, where he was leading an expedition on Thursday.Elite Exped, the mountaineering company Purja co-founded, confirmed his death in a statement on Saturday, saying other members of the expedition also did not survive. The company named two of his climbing partners, Pur Bahadur Gurung and Nima Sherpa, among those lost, and asked for the families’ privacy to be respected as they grieve.Why was he on Broad Peak?Purja, a British-Nepali climber and holder of several mountaineering records, had not originally planned to climb Broad Peak. In a post on X on 27 July, he explained that his focus had been a separate project called Hattrick, centred on climbing G2.THE MISSION SHIFTS. THE COMPASS HOLDS.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— Nirmal Purja MBE (@nimsdai) July 27, 2026Just before leaving for Pakistan, he worked out that adding Broad Peak to his summit count would leave him needing only one more peak, Cho Oyu, to become the first person to climb all 14 mountains above 8,000 metres twice, without supplemental oxygen. The desire to achieve this feat led him to take on Broad Peak as well.What did he write before setting off?In the same post, Purja wrote on his X account: “Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down.” He added that he never took a mountain for granted and treated every step from base camp onward with full seriousness.THE MISSION SHIFTS. THE COMPASS HOLDS.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— Nirmal Purja MBE (@nimsdai) July 27, 2026How did the search unfold?Purja’s tracking device initially showed movement after Thursday’s avalanche, raising hopes he had survived. Rescue teams believed for a time that he was alive and conscious, awaiting rescue. As search efforts continued, it became increasingly unlikely that anyone would be found alive..Who was Nims Purja Career timeline By the numbers What happened The team Broad PeakBroad Peak at a glanceHow it comparesWhere the avalanche struckHeights per Reuters, Al Jazeera and Kathmandu Post (Broad Peak is also cited as 8,047 m by some sources). Camp altitudes are approximate; the avalanche point (~6,579 m) is from climbers' GPS data.Sources: Reuters · Elite Exped (death confirmation) · Alpine Club of Pakistan · Gilgit-Baltistan government · Al Jazeera · CNN · Kathmandu Post. Recovery of the climbers is ongoing.Express InfoGenIE.A drone flown from base camp later spotted what appeared to be the bodies of four climbers, including Purja, Kili Pemba Sherpa, Nima Sherpa and Wang Zhong, near Camp I on the mountain’s Concordia side. Search teams said as many as ten climbers caught in the avalanche may have died.Story continues below this adNepal-born former Royal Marine Nirmal Purja, was missing following an avalanche on Broad Peak. (Photo: Instagram)His backgroundBorn in Nepal, Purja served in the military for 16 years, including six years with the Gurkha regiment and a decade with UK Special Forces. He later became one of three mountaineers running Elite Exped, alongside Mingma David Sherpa and Tejan Gurung.Most Read1US makes visa bond rule permanent, raises cap to $20,000; Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan affected2Nirmal Purja, mountaineering legend, among 10 climbers killed in Broad Peak avalanche3Broad Peak avalanche: Rescue briefly paused after 3 bodies recovered, Nirmal Purja among missing4Air India to launch Mumbai-Toronto non-stop flights, upgrades Delhi-Toronto service5Trump calls off fresh attacks on Iran, says peace deal agreed with Tehran6US urges citizens to ‘consider leaving Middle East’ as Trump threatens to hit Iran ‘very hard’Also read From Netflix star Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja to Pakistan’s top guide: The 10 lives lost on Broad PeakHe became internationally known in 2019 for climbing all 14 of the world’s peaks above 8,000 metres in under seven months, a feat later documented in a Netflix film. His mountaineering career began somewhat by chance, during a 2012 trek to Everest Base Camp, when he decided to continue to the summit instead of turning back as planned. He was also honoured as a Member of the Order of the British Empire.How did he respond to criticism?Purja had faced scrutiny over parts of his career, including his 2019 record climb. In his final post, he wrote that he had never measured himself against other climbers, only against his own past performance, and urged himself and others to stay focused on their own path rather than external opinions.Also read Nirmal Purja, mountaineering legend, among 10 climbers killed in Broad Peak avalancheHe pointed to the Netflix documentary as an accurate record of what that record attempt had involved, including rescuing other climbers and self-funding parts of the expedition, and said he intended to keep pursuing new goals despite ongoing criticism.AdvertisementLoading Recommendations...Advertisement