Famed Nepali climber Nirmal Purja — whose astonishing ascents were featured in the Netflix film “14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible” — has been confirmed dead after an avalanche devastated an expedition in the Himalayas.
Purja had been leading a pack of 10 climbers trekking over the 26,400-foot Broad Peak in Pakistan when a snowslide struck midday Thursday, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan. Authorities had initially said they were missing.
A social media post on Saturday published by the Nimsdai Foundation, which Purja founded, said the 43-year-old “tragically lost his life.”
“His legacy will live on in the countless lives he changed and the people he inspired to climb their own mountains,” the foundation said.
Three others have been also confirmed dead: Omani climber Nadhira Al Harthy, Nepali climber Pur Bahadur Gurung “Yukta” and US climber Sarah Mallory Geis. Geis is a travel photographer based in San Antonio.
Recovery efforts for the six remaining climbers are ongoing, authorities said.
A high-altitude climber who led an expedition up Broad Peak last week had told The Post that the chances of any survival looked grim.
“It had been raining every day, which means that at high altitude, it would have been snowing,” said Napier Sandford Fuller. “I remember thinking, sh—, they’re going to have a hell of a problem because if it’s raining … for a week straight, it’s going to have a huge snow load on that mountain.”
Purja set the record for the fastest ascent of the world’s 14 highest mountains, which was captured in the Netflix documentary. A former British army soldier, Purja accomplished the feat in 2019 by climbing over 26,300 feet in just over six months.
Purja had told CNN that he wanted to use his platform to honor Nepal’s Sherpa people, who often guide and assist climbers trying to achieve feats on the Himalayas.
“Even though they were top climbers, they didn’t get the right recognition,” Purja said. “Hopefully, I thought I could uplift their names.”
Broad Peak would have been familiar terrain for Purja; it is the 12th-tallest mountain in the world.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan said in a statement that “every possible effort” was being made to secure helicopter support and that “all available resources are mobilized at the earliest opportunity.”
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By New York Post (World News) | Created at 2026-08-01 17:20:40 | Updated at 2026-08-01 20:42:57
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