ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – A catastrophic avalanche has swept across Broad Peak, the world’s 12th-tallest mountain in Pakistan’s northern Karakoram range, leaving a 10-member international climbing expedition led by famous Nepal-born mountaineer Nirmal Purja unaccounted for and cut off from all communication. Karrar Haidri, vice president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, confirmed the development in an official statement released late Thursday, noting that the organization received initial alerts of the avalanche but has not been able to reestablish contact with the team since the incident.
The expedition brings together climbers from six different nations: five Nepalese mountaineers, Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi from the Hunza region, Omani climber Nathira, American climber Mallory Geis, a Chinese climber identified only by the surname Wang, and one additional foreign team member. Purja, also known by his nickname Nims Dai, is a Nepal-born British mountaineer who earned global acclaim for his 2019 feat of scaling all 14 of the planet’s peaks higher than 8,000 meters in just 189 days. That achievement set a world speed record that stood until 2023, when a Norwegian climber and her Nepali Sherpa guide broke the mark. Purja’s historic climbing journey was later featured in the hit Netflix documentary *14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible*, introducing high-altitude mountaineering to a mass global audience.
Standing at 8,047 meters (26,401 feet) above sea level, Broad Peak is part of the Karakoram mountain range that straddles the Pakistan-China border. Pakistan attracts thousands of elite mountaineers from across the globe each year, as it hosts five of the world’s 14 8,000-meter peaks, making it a premier destination for ambitious summit attempts.
Immediately following news of the avalanche, Alpine Club of Pakistan president Major General Irfan Arshad and the organization’s senior leadership launched coordination efforts with Pakistani federal and regional government officials to speed up the launch of search-and-rescue operations. The organization confirmed that teams are working to rapidly mobilize rescue helicopters and other specialized emergency resources, though deployment will depend on current high-altitude weather conditions and operational safety constraints.
“The Alpine Club of Pakistan is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with all concerned stakeholders,” the organization’s statement added. “The club stands in solidarity with the climbers’ families and the international mountaineering community as rescue efforts get underway.”