A 10-member international climbing team led by British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja was struck by an avalanche on Broad Peak in northern Pakistan on July 30, 2026, around midday, cutting off contact with rescuers [1, 2, 3].

Purja, 43, and nine other climbers from Nepal, Pakistan, Oman, China, and the US were killed in the incident on the world’s 12th highest mountain, which has a height of 8,051 meters according to most sources [1, 2, 3, 4].

Rescuers recovered the bodies of seven climbers including Purja, Nepali climbers Pur Bahadur Gurung Yukta, Nima Sherpa, Kili Pemba Sherpa; Omani woman Nadhira Al Harthy; American climber Mallory Geis; and Chinese climber Wang Zhong by August 2 at approximately 5,700 meters elevation on Broad Peak [1, 2, 3, 4]. Three climbers, including Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi who planned to retire after the expedition, remained missing amid difficult terrain, poor weather and limited helicopter rescue capacity in Pakistan [2, 3].

Nirmal Purja was a former Gurkha and British special forces soldier who gained international fame by summiting all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks in a record 189 days in 2019. At the time of the avalanche, he was attempting to become the first climber to summit all 14 eight-thousanders twice without supplemental oxygen [5, 2, 3].

Nepal’s mountaineering community mourned the loss of Purja and other elite guides. "Nepal has lost a generation of accomplished mountaineers," said Tul Singh Gurung, president of the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association [5]. International mountain guide Man Raj Gurung added, "This is a big loss for our mountaineering sector. I think it might take years for us to see such climbers again because not everyone will be willing to take on such a risky job" [5].

Global figures paid tribute, including Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah and Britain’s Prince William [1, 5, 2].

By August 4, hundreds of Nepalis held a candlelight vigil in Kathmandu to honor the 10 climbers who died [5].

The recovery operation continues amid challenging conditions on the mountain.