Record-breaking mountaineer Nirmal "Nims" Purja was killed in an avalanche on Broad Peak in the Karakoram range, his expedition company confirmed on Saturday. The Nepali-born climber had been missing since Friday after an avalanche struck his expedition on the mountain's West Ridge route.
Elite Exped, founded by Purja, said it was with "profound sadness and immense heartbreak" that it confirmed his death. The company also announced that other members of the expedition, including trusted climbing partners Pur Bahadur Gurung and Nima Sherpa, did not survive the tragedy.
Broad Peak, the world's 12th-highest mountain at 8,051 metres, lies in the Karakoram range near K2 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Purja was widely regarded as one of the world's greatest mountaineers. A former member of Britain's Brigade of Gurkhas and the elite Special Boat Service (SBS), he became a full-time climber after leaving military service.
He achieved global fame in 2019 by climbing all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres in just six months and six days under his "Project Possible" expedition, shattering the previous record. In 2021, he was also part of the first all-Nepali team to complete a historic winter ascent of K2.
Tributes poured in from the mountaineering community, with Elite Exped describing Purja as a leader whose courage, vision and determination inspired millions around the world.
Also read: 4 climbers dead in avalanche on Pak peak, 6 missing
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