Nirmal Purja dies in Broad Peak avalanche

The death of Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja (43) has been confirmed following an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan on 30 July. Elite Expedition said Nimsdai and other expedition members had died; Pakistani authorities had reported no contact with the group after the slide. Reported by The Kathmandu Post.

Born in Nepal (Myagdi / Chitwan), Purja served as a British Gurkha and became the first Nepali accepted into the Special Boat Service; he later received an MBE. In 2019 his Project Possible climb put him on all 14 eight-thousanders in six months and six days — a record later beaten (Harila / Tenjen Sherpa, 92 days in 2023). Netflix’s 14 Peaks carried the story worldwide; he was also on the first all-Nepali winter ascent of K2 (2021) and co-founded Elite Exped. His photo of the Everest summit “traffic jam” became one of the decade’s defining mountain images.

Outdoor Ukraine take. For Nepali and global mountaineering this is the loss of a star who changed pace and visibility for Nepali teams — a brilliant and polarising figure at once. For trekkers and commercial expedition clients the reminder is blunt: at 8,000 m an avalanche does not check résumés. Cross-check rescue updates and casualty lists against official statements from Pakistan and Nepali operators.