Famed Nepalese climber Nirmal Purja found dead after Pakistan Broad Peak avalanche
LONDON -- The body of famed Nepalese climber Nirmal Purja was recovered in Pakistan's Broad Peak mountain on Saturday, officials said, as rescue teams continue to search for a group of mountaineers who were caught in an avalanche on Thursday.
Rescuers found the body, the fourth recovered so far, as they combed the peak for any survivors, according to Ayaz Ahmad Shigri, the general secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan.
The bodies of three other climbers, which included American Sarah Mallory Geis, were recovered Friday. Six climbers are still unaccounted as of Saturday.
Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah said in a statement on social media Saturday that the fourth body was Purja.
The Nepal-born former British Army soldier gained fame after climbing the world's 14 highest peaks in a record 189 days in 2019, an achievement featured in the Netflix documentary, "14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible."
"Mountaineering is not merely a journey to reach the summit; it is the ultimate expression of courage, discipline, sacrifice, and the indomitable self-confidence that challenges human limits," Shah said in a post on social media.
"The legacy of their courage, dedication, and contributions will forever remain alive and inspiring," Shah said of the climbers.
"No words can ease the pain of this unimaginable loss” and "the world has lost one of mountaineering’s greatest climbers, a leader who inspired millions through his courage, humility and unwavering belief that human potential is far greater than we often imagine," Elite Exped, which Purja co-founded, said in a post about the revered climber on social media.
Purja spoke to ABC News in 2022 about his love of climbing and his dream to inspire others and honor his countrymen.
"I really wanted to uplift the name of Nepalese climbers," he said. "We are the heroes of 8,000-ers, but we never had that credibility, we are always in shadows, and now it's time to give credit to this people, and I really felt that from the bottom of my heart."
A Pakistani rescue team said Friday it also recovered the remains of two other climbers, Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy of Oman and Pur Bahadur Gurung of Nepal.
Broad Peak, where the climbers were traversing when the avalanche struck, is a 26,401-foot mountain in the Karakoram range in central Asia.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan said the entire team has been out of communication since the reported avalanche but confirmed that it is working with government authorities and relevant agencies to support an immediate search-and-rescue operation.
Rescue crews found the three dead bodies Friday using drones, according to officials. Their remains were removed from the site by helicopters.
Geis had been posting photos of the climb on her Instagram account.
