Nirmal Purja and Nine Climbers Missing After Broad Peak Avalanche

Broad Peak Avalanche Leaves Ten Climbers Missing, Including Nirmal Purja

The expedition was operating under Purja’s company, Outside Magazine. GPS tracking data evaluated by mountaineers showed that the avalanche occurred between 8:57 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. at approximately 6,579 meters (21,580 feet). The event caused sudden, rapid descents on trackers, including a 543-meter drop for American climber Mallory Geis and a 1,651-meter drop for Omani climber Nadhira Al Harthy. Pakistani mountaineer Samson Sharaf, mentor to missing guide Sohail Sakhi, stated that the entire, snow-laden face moved, sweeping the entire traverse, as reported by Climbing Magazine. The Alpine Club of Pakistan stated that the entire team has been out of communication since the incident.

Rescue Efforts and Complex Logistics in the Karakoram

Search and rescue preparations were initiated immediately, with the club’s president, Maj. Gen. Irfan Arshad, and senior leaders coordinating with government officials. However, ground and helicopter rescue teams faced logistical delays and were not scheduled to reach the mountain until Friday morning local time.

The Alpine Club of Pakistan noted that every possible effort is being made to mobilize helicopter support and available rescue resources, though operations remain strictly subject to weather and operational conditions. Due to the massive scale of the avalanche and the prolonged loss of communication, all missing climbers are currently feared dead. The Karakoram range remains extremely isolated, featuring limited facilities for communication and helicopter rescues.

Identified Climbers on the Missing Expedition

The expedition utilized a one-to-one guide-to-client ratio, meaning five of the ten missing individuals were presumably guides. The confirmed missing climbers span multiple countries and include:

* Nirmal “Nims” Purja: Expedition leader and world-renowned mountaineer from Nepal who holds fame for his record-breaking ascents and the Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible. * Sohail Sakhi: Pakistani high-altitude guide from the Hunza Valley, known for oxygenless summits on Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum I, and Gasherbrum II. * Mallory Geis: American client guided by Sakhi. * Nadhira Al Harthy (also cited as Nathira): Omani climber whose tracker recorded a massive descent during the slide. * Wang: Chinese client on the expedition. * Gelu Sherpa and Nawang Thindu Sherpa: Nepali guides confirmed missing by outfitter Outside Magazine, alongside additional unnamed Nepali and Pakistani high-altitude workers.

Background on Broad Peak and Expedition Leader Purja

Broad Peak stands at an elevation of 8,047 meters (26,401 feet) in the Karakoram range and is recognized as the world’s 12th-highest mountain. While often considered among the less technical of the fourteen 8,000-meter peaks, the mountain presents severe hazards from steep terrain and unpredictable weather conditions.

Expedition leader Nirmal Purja achieved global recognition in 2019 by summiting all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks in six months and six days. Prior to his mountaineering career, Purja served for 16 years in the British military, including service with the elite UK Special Forces and the Gurkhas. At the time of the avalanche, Purja was nearing completion of his Hat Trick Campaign to climb all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks three times, having recently completed an oxygenless ascent of Gasherbrum II on July 21.