The body of renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja has been recovered on Broad Peak in Pakistan, rescuers have said.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan said on Sunday that he was found about 5,700m up the mountain, where three further bodies have been sighted although their identities have not been confirmed.
The 43-year-old’s death was announced on Saturday by his company, Elite Expeditions, which said he was among 10 people were killed in the avalanche. The Prince of Wales was among those to pay tribute.
Purja, who was born in Nepal and later served in the British Army, was known for scaling the world’s 14 highest peaks in just over six months in 2019.
The Alpine Club said a ground team would take the recovered bodies to a Japanese camp.
Prior to Purja’s death being announced, Pakistani officials said the bodies of three other climbers from his expedition – American Mallory Geis, Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy from Oman and Pur Bahadur Gurung from Nepal – had been recovered.
On Saturday, Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah said “the tragic death of six Nepalese and four other foreign climbers, including world record holder Nirmal Purja, in the Karakoram mountain range of Pakistan, has shocked us”.
“The history of their courage, dedication, and contributions will always remain inspiring,” the prime minister added.
In a statement, Purja’s older brother Kamal wrote: “It is with the heaviest heart that I share the devastating news that my beloved younger brother, Nirmal ‘Nimsdai’ Purja, and the other climbers are no longer with us.
“Although our hearts are broken, we are incredibly proud of you. Your legacy will live forever,” he added.
Prince William said he was “truly saddened to hear of the tragic death” of Purja, who he said “served with distinction” as a soldier before “becoming one of the greatest mountaineers”.
UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said in a post on X: “Incredibly sad to learn of the passing of Nirmal (Nims) Purja and those he was climbing with.
“He was an inspirational man who served in our Armed Forces for many years – and whose incredible mountaineering adventures are known the world over.”
Naila Kiani, a spokesperson for the Alpine Club of Pakistan which is involved in the rescue efforts, told BBC’s Newshour programme on Saturday that her organisation feared all members of the group were dead, and that Purja had led many expeditions she was on.
Praising his leadership skills, she described him as a “very experienced climber and fearless”.
Teams in Pakistan have been searching for the climbers on the world’s 12th-highest summit since Thursday’s avalanche on the 8,047m (26,400ft) peak in the Karakoram range.
The multinational climbing group was being led by Purja. Also known as Nims, he rose to prominence in 2019 when he climbed all 14 of the world’s mountains with peaks above 8,000m in 189 days – smashing the previous record by more than seven years.
He became widely known following a Netflix documentary chronicling his journey, 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, released two years later.
At the time, he said: “It has been a gruelling but humbling six months, and I hope to have proven that anything is possible with some determination, self-belief and positivity.”
Purja served in the British military for 16 years, 10 of which were spent in the special forces, and he was awarded an MBE by the late Queen in 2018 for his achievement in extreme high-altitude mountaineering.
Purja, who lived with his wife and three-year-old daughter in Hampshire in southern England, said he was also the first Gurkha to climb Everest while serving in the British military.
In his last post on X, published on Monday, he said he had not intended to climb Broad Peak.
“Initially, the plan was to climb just G2,” Purja wrote, referring to Gasherbrum II, another peak in the Karakoram mountain range.
But right before he set off for Pakistan, he realised if he also managed to climb Broad Peak while he was there, he would have only one more mountain to conquer before becoming the “first person in history to climb all 14 eight-thousanders twice. Without oxygen.”
An eight-thousander is a mountain that rises more than 8,000m above sea level.
“This wasn’t planned,” Purja wrote. “But opportunities don’t scream: they whisper to those already working in silence.”
“Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down. I take zero mountains for granted,” he wrote.
Broad Peak is regarded as one of the more challenging mountains for climbers. The first successful ascent was in 1957, when an Austrian expedition reached the summit.
Since then, many more have climbed the mountain, but dozens have lost their lives.
One of Broad Peak’s deadliest years was 2013, when at least six fatalities were recorded.
By BBC News
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