Broad Peak Avalanche: Nirmal Purja Among Missing Climbers

An avalanche struck a climbing expedition on Broad Peak, Pakistan, around midday on July 30, 2026, leaving at least 10 climbers missing. The entire team lost communication with the outside world after the avalanche hit. Broad Peak, the world's 12th-highest mountain, is located in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region in the Karakoram range.

Among the missing is renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, who was leading the expedition for his company Elite Exped. Purja is best known for climbing all 14 of the world's eight-thousanders — peaks above 8,000 metres — in six months and six days between April and October 2019, setting a world record at the time. His journey, named Project Possible, was documented in the 2021 Netflix documentary '14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.'

Before his mountaineering career, Purja served with Britain's Brigade of Gurkhas and later joined the Special Boat Squadron of the Royal Marines. In 2021, he led the first winter ascent of K2 alongside a team of nine other Nepalese climbers, further cementing his status among elite high-altitude mountaineers.

Search and rescue operations were launched following the avalanche, with two Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters dispatched to the area. During operations on July 31, rescuers recovered between three and four bodies, though the exact count varies across reports reflecting different reporting times or definitions of recovery. Drone footage showed signs of several more bodies in the search area, with seven climbers spotted via aerial surveillance, though their identities could not be verified from the air.

Three of the deceased were identified as Nepali citizen Pur Bahadur Gurung, Omani national Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, and US citizen Sarah Mallory, also identified in some reports as Mallory Geis. Search and rescue operations were suspended on the night of July 31 due to deteriorating weather conditions.

Center-left and center-right outlets report that the avalanche struck between camp two and camp three on Broad Peak's west ridge at approximately 6,579 to 6,600 metres elevation. Tracker data from climbers' devices showed a rapid loss of altitude at the time of the avalanche, suggesting they were caught in the slide as it occurred.

The exact composition of the expedition has been reported with minor discrepancies across outlets. Most sources describe a group including five Nepalese, one Pakistani, one Omani, one American, and one Chinese national. However, one report from The Straits Times cited police as listing two British nationals while not mentioning an American, whereas other sources describe an American but no British nationals. One source also references 'one other foreigner' without specifying nationality.

Reports differ on whether 10 or 11 climbers were caught in the avalanche. Most sources state 10 climbers are missing, but The Guardian reports 11 climbers were caught in the deadly avalanche, creating a discrepancy in the total count.

Center-left outlets report that Purja's tracking device showed movement after the initial rapid descent, with his location appearing to have shifted — possibly toward the foot of the mountain — though his condition remained unknown. The anomalous tracker data raised the possibility that Purja may have survived the initial impact, though both outlets cautioned that this could not be verified.

Center-left outlets note that rescue efforts in Pakistan were constrained by operational conditions, drawing a comparison to Nepal's more developed private helicopter rescue network. The Guardian specifically highlighted that Pakistan's military-run helicopter system is less available than Nepal's commercial rescue infrastructure.

Purja's 2019 record for climbing all 14 eight-thousanders was broken in 2023 by Norwegian mountaineer Kristin Harila, who completed the feat in three months and one day, according to center-left outlets. At the time of the Broad Peak expedition, BBC News reports that Purja was attempting to become the first person to climb all 14 eight-thousanders twice without supplemental oxygen, with his Gasherbrum II summit on July 21 marking his 57th eight-thousander summit.

Center-left outlets report that Purja used his fame to advocate for Nepali mountain guides and to showcase their overlooked contributions to high-altitude expeditions. The Guardian notes that Nadhira Alharthy, the Omani national identified among the deceased, was the first Omani person to climb Everest.

Center-left outlets also report that Purja has faced sexual misconduct allegations. A 2024 New York Times article detailed allegations from two women: one claimed sexual assault in a hotel room in 2023, and another claimed he grabbed and propositioned her on a K2 expedition in 2022. Purja denied the allegations through his lawyer.