Nirmal Purja and teammates killed by avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan

Celebrated Nepali climber Nirmal Purja has died after an avalanche struck his 11-person expedition on Pakistan's Broad Peak.

Eleven climbers were swept by an avalanche on Broad Peak, one of Pakistan's 8,000-metre giants, killing world-renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja and several of his teammates. Rescuers located four bodies during the search operation, with trackers on the climbers showing a rapid descent consistent with being caught in the slide. Purja's climbing company confirmed his death along with other members of the expedition he was leading. Nirmal Purja, a former British Special Forces soldier from Nepal, had achieved global fame for breaking the record for climbing all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre peaks — completing the feat in just over six months in 2019. Broad Peak, standing at 8,051 metres, sits in the Karakoram range in northern Pakistan, a region that draws elite high-altitude climbers from around the world. The full circumstances of the avalanche, including exactly when it struck and how many of the 11 climbers survived, had not been fully confirmed across the available reporting at time of publication. Rescue teams were active in the area as the search for remaining members of the party continued.

Why it matters

Purja was one of the most recognisable figures in modern mountaineering, and the incident is among the deadlier avalanche disasters on Pakistan's high peaks in recent years. The deaths highlight the extreme and ongoing risks faced even by the world's most experienced high-altitude climbers.

What's next

Search and rescue operations were ongoing as teams worked to determine the fate of all 11 expedition members.

Key facts

• Eleven climbers were struck by an avalanche on Broad Peak, a 8,051-metre peak in Pakistan's Karakoram range
• Nirmal Purja, leader of the expedition, was confirmed dead by his climbing company
• Four bodies were recovered by rescue teams during the search operation
• Trackers on the climbers showed a rapid descent, alerting rescuers to the avalanche
• Purja set a world record in 2019 by summiting all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre peaks in approximately six months
• Purja was a former British Special Forces soldier of Nepali origin

Bias & framing notes

Both sources are from the same outlet, The Guardian, representing two sequential updates on the same story rather than independent reporting. The first headline states Purja's death as confirmed, while the second — apparently published earlier — describes him only as 'among' those struck, reflecting the developing nature of the story. No independent corroboration from a separate news organisation is available in the provided sources, limiting the trust score despite the Guardian's general reliability.

NewsClear — neutral news & congressional tracking · Bill of the Week