Bodies of 4 Mountaineers Killed in Pakistan Avalanche Brought to Base Camp
Bodies of Nirmal Purja and three climbers recovered after a dangerous high-altitude rescue
The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) has confirmed that the bodies of famed 43-year-old British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja and three other mountaineers have been successfully brought down to Broad Peak Base Camp. The recovery follows a highly difficult and dangerous operation at high altitude.
Successful Recovery Under Challenging Conditions
According to an official statement by the President of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, the bodies of Nirmal Purja, Zhong Wang, Nima Sherpa, and Kilu Sherpa were retrieved during a highly technical mission on the mountain.
In the statement, the ACP President said: "On behalf of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, I am pleased to confirm that, following an exceptionally challenging and technically demanding recovery operation on Broad Peak, the mortal remains of Nirmal Purja, Zhong Wang, Nima Sherpa, and Kilu Sherpa have been successfully recovered and have now arrived safely at Base Camp."
A dedicated ground rescue team carried out the difficult task on the slopes of the world’s 12th-highest peak.
The ACP President added: "I extend my sincere gratitude to the dedicated ground recovery team, led by Mingma G and supported by Sirbaz Khan, Abid Baig, Sherbaz, together with Dipen Gurung and Pemba Chhewang Sherpa, whose courage, professionalism, and selfless commitment made this recovery possible under extremely difficult conditions,"
He also highlighted the smooth international cooperation that made the mission possible: "I also wish to express my sincere thanks to the British High Commission and the Embassy of Nepal for their valued support and cooperation during this difficult time."
While this part of the mission is complete, search efforts continue for other missing climbers. The ACP President noted: "While today marks an important milestone, three climbers remain missing. We remain committed to supporting all possible efforts to locate and recover them, whenever conditions allow, so that they too may be returned home to their loved ones."
He concluded with a message of sympathy: "The recovered climbers will now begin their final journey home to their families. We hope this recovery brings them a measure of peace and the opportunity to lay their loved ones to rest with the dignity they deserve," adding, "On behalf of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, I extend our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and the global mountaineering community."
Global Climbing Community Mourns the Loss
The tragedy has deeply affected the international mountaineering community. Ten climbers lost their lives last Thursday when an avalanche struck Broad Peak. In Kathmandu, family members, friends, and fellow climbers gathered for a candlelight vigil at Maitighar Mandala to pay tribute to the victims.
Pemba Rita Sherpa, a veteran climber who summited Everest 14 times, attended the vigil to remember his cousin. He shared his grief, saying: "I am the cousin of Kili Pemba Sherpa. Today we have gathered here to hold a candlelight vigil paying tribute to all 10 climbers. The entire mountaineering fraternity is mourning their departure,"
He added: "We are praying for their mortal remains to be brought back to Kathmandu very soon and request the government as well for it. We want their mortal remains to be brought here as soon as possible,"
The memorial was also attended by Mike Harker, the Public Affairs Chief at the US Embassy in Nepal, who recently summited Everest. He joined the local community to stand in solidarity with the grieving families.
The Victims of the Broad Peak Avalanche
The tragic accident claimed the lives of five Nepalese climbers and five international climbers, including Omani mountaineer Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, the first Omani woman to summit Mount Everest.
The Nepalese climbers lost in the avalanche are:
- Pur Bahadur Gurung "Yukta"
- Kili Pemba Sherpa "Kilu"
- Nima Sherpa
- Nawang Thindu Sherpa
- Gyalu Sherpa
The international climbers are:
- Nirmal "Nims" Purja (United Kingdom)
- Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy (Oman)
- Sohail Sakhi (Pakistan)
- Wang Zhong (China)
- Mallory Geis (United States)
Tul Singh Gurung, President of the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association (NNMGA), expressed the deep sense of loss: "This program is organised to honour those who lost their lives in Broad Peak recently, a couple of days ago. The country and the mountaineering community we had lost; I cannot explain the loss due to this accident. I really honour those people (climbers) whom we lost in Broad Peak, especially like Nims Dai, who held different records for the nation, for the world, for the mountaineering community."
What Happened on Broad Peak?
The avalanche struck last Thursday while the team was attempting to reach the summit of the 8,051-meter peak. Tracking data showed that Nirmal Purja had reached an altitude of 6,659 meters, just above Camp II, at 9:38 AM local time. Only 40 minutes later, his tracker recorded a sudden 800-meter drop to 5,891 meters, indicating the exact moment the avalanche hit.
There was brief hope when a minor 10-meter movement was detected later, but rescuers later confirmed this was a technical error with the tracking device.
Remembering Nirmal "Nims" Purja
Nirmal Purja was one of the most famous names in modern mountaineering. Born in Nepal, he served in the British Army's Gurkha Regiment and later joined the elite UK Special Forces. He discovered his passion for climbing during his military service.
In 2018, he left the military to climb full-time. That same year, he was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II. He achieved global fame in 2019 by climbing all 14 of the world's 8,000-meter peaks in just six months and six days, a feat documented in a popular global film.
Before recovering Purja and his three teammates, rescue teams had already retrieved the bodies of Gyalu Sherpa, Pur Bahadur Gurung "Yukta", and Omani climber Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy from the upper slopes of the mountain.
This article was previously published on omanmoments. To see the original article, click here
AI contributed to the creation of this article.