The celebrated mountaineer Nirmal Purja and nine other members of his expedition group have died following an avalanche on Broad Peak in Northern Pakistan. The 26,414-foot mountain is considered one of the highest peaks on Earth. Elite Expeditions, the company associated with the climber, confirmed the tragedy in a statement, noting, "It is with profound sadness and immense heartbreak that we confirm that Nirmal 'Nimsdai' Purja tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak." The company further stated that it had received confirmation that the other members of the expedition did not survive.
Purja, a 43-year-old British-Nepali climber, achieved international fame for his record-breaking mountaineering achievements. In 2019, he became the first person to summit all 14 of the world’s mountains exceeding 8,000 meters (26,247 feet) within a span of 6 months and 6 days. His historic feat was later featured in a 2021 Netflix documentary. Before his career in high-altitude climbing, Purja served for ten years in the UK's Special Boat Service, an elite special forces unit comparable to the U.S. Navy SEALs.
According to the Alpine Club of Pakistan, the ill-fated expedition included climbers representing Oman, Nepal, Pakistan, China, and the United States. The American member of the group was 39-year-old Mallory Geis from San Antonio, Texas. In a social media post earlier this year, Geis shared her decision to close her Pilates studio to pursue high-altitude climbing, writing, "So here we go. Taking a giant leap of faith into the unknown to see where life goes. I have a sneaking suspicion there will be lots of helmets, harnesses, and crampons involved."
FILE – Nirmal Purja, one of the team members of the all-Nepalese mountaineering team that became the first to scale Mount K2 in winter, gestures as the team arrives at Tribhuwan International airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, Jan. 26, 2021. Niranjan Shrestha/AP hide caption
