Rescue teams have recovered the body of Nirmal Purja, the renowned climber who died in an avalanche on a mountain in Pakistan, along with several of his teammates, amid global expressions of sympathy.
On Sunday, 2 Aug 2026 GMT+7, the Alpine Association of Pakistan announced that rescue teams had successfully recovered the body of Nirmal Purja, the famous British-Nepali climber, after he and nine teammates died in an avalanche last week while attempting to summit Broad Peak.
"The ground rescue team reached the body of Nims Dai (Purja's nickname) at about 5,700 meters on Broad Peak, the mountain he loved and which has now taken him from us," the association posted on social media.
Ayaz Shigri, the association's secretary-general, said the ground rescue team is bringing down four bodies — Purja’s, two Nepalis, and one Chinese climber — and "the rescue team has also confirmed the discovery of another body at a much higher altitude."
"Due to extremely hazardous terrain and current weather conditions, it is highly unlikely that recovery attempts will be made for that body at this time," Shigri added.
The avalanche occurred on Thursday, 30 July 2026 GMT+7, while Purja and his team were attempting to summit Broad Peak as part of a second effort to climb all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks. Purja had previously set a world record by climbing all 14 peaks in under seven months in 2019.
Elite Expeditions, Purja’s climbing company, confirmed on Saturday that Purja and his nine teammates died in the avalanche. On Friday, rescue teams had recovered three bodies — an Omani woman, a Nepali man, and an American woman — all of whom were airlifted to Skardu city.
This tragedy has deeply affected the global climbing community, especially in Nepal. Leaders including the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, have expressed their condolences to the families of the climbers.
“Nims (Purja) served honorably in the British Army before becoming one of the world’s greatest climbers, bringing international recognition to Nepali climbers,” Prince William posted on X, expressing his profound sadness over the loss.
Meanwhile, Fu Gurje Sherpa, president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, wrote on social media, “This is an unexpected loss for the climbing community and our nation... He was deeply committed to raising Nepal’s profile globally and advancing our mountaineering sector.”
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Source:cna