A devastating avalanche that struck an international climbing expedition on Pakistan’s Broad Peak — one of the world’s tallest 8,000-meter mountains — has left at least eight mountaineers dead, with rescue teams still searching for two remaining missing climbers as of Sunday, Pakistani officials confirmed. Search and recovery teams operating on foot have located the bodies of celebrated British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja, alongside three other members of the 10-person expedition: Chinese climber Wang Zhong, and Nepali guides Nima Sherpa and Kili Pemba Sherpa.
The avalanche hit the expedition on the upper slopes of Broad Peak earlier last week, triggering a large-scale multinational rescue operation coordinated by Pakistani authorities and mountaineering organizations. Two days before the recovery of Purja’s remains, rescuers first spotted four other bodies trapped in snow and debris, but dangerous wind and snow conditions forced helicopter operations to ground, allowing only three of those bodies to be evacuated. The three recovered earlier have been identified as Omani climber Nathira Ahmed, American climber Mallory Geis, and Nepali climber Bahadur Gurung.
As of Sunday, military-supported search teams had restarted operations to locate the two still-unaccounted-for climbers: Pakistani guide and photographer Sohail Sakhi, who was set to retire after this expedition, and one additional team member. Crews are also working to extract the newly recovered remains of Purja and his three teammates from the high-altitude disaster zone, a slow and dangerous process given the harsh mountain conditions.
Purja, a former British Army soldier born in Nepal who was affectionately known to the global mountaineering community as Nims Dai, earned worldwide fame for his groundbreaking 2019 achievement: climbing all 14 of the planet’s peaks over 8,000 meters in just 189 days, a world record at the time that was later broken in 2023. His feat was chronicled in the popular Netflix documentary *14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible*, which introduced his story to millions of non-climbers and inspired a new generation of outdoor adventurers.
In a statement released Saturday, Purja’s own expedition company paid tribute to the legendary climber, saying “the world has lost one of mountaineering’s greats.” The statement called Purja “a leader who inspired millions through his courage, humility and unwavering belief that human potential is far greater than we often imagine.”
Irfan Arshad Khan, president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, which led the coordination of recovery efforts, echoed that sentiment, calling the disaster “an immeasurable loss to the global mountaineering fraternity.” He also extended the organization’s gratitude to military and civilian rescuers, local Sherpa guides, and volunteer teams that risked their own safety to carry out the search in lethal high-altitude conditions.
Family of the fallen American climber Geis also released a statement honoring their loved one: “Mallory was a bright light who was loved deeply by her family and friends. She will be profoundly missed.”
Sakhi, the still-missing Pakistani guide, worked for Moving Mountains, a Pakistan-based adventure travel operator. Beyond guiding expeditions, he was an accomplished geographer and high-altitude photographer who had already summited many of the world’s most famous major peaks, and this expedition was planned to be his last before retirement.
Mountaineering accidents are a persistent risk in the mountain ranges of northern Pakistan, where unpredictable weather, high altitude, falling rock and ice, and frequent avalanches create constant danger for even the most experienced climbers.