A 10-member international climbing team led by world-renowned Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja alias Nims Dai has lost contact after being caught in an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak.
According to the BBC, an avalanche struck the 8,047-metre Broad Peak in Pakistan’s Karakoram range around midday on Thursday. Pakistani mountaineering officials said there has been no contact with the team since then.
The team includes one American, one Chinese, one Omani, and five Nepali citizens. Team leader Nirmal Purja set a world record in 2019 by summiting all 14 of the world’s peaks above 8,000 metres in just over six months.
Officials said preparations are underway to deploy helicopters for search and rescue if weather conditions permit.
Broad Peak, the world’s 12th-highest mountain, is considered one of the most challenging peaks to climb.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan issued a statement saying efforts are underway to launch an immediate search and rescue operation in continuous coordination with government agencies. The club said every effort is being made to mobilise all available resources, including helicopters, as quickly as possible.
The club wished for the safe rescue of all the climbers and expressed solidarity with their families and the international mountaineering community during this difficult time.
Nirmal Purja joined the British Army in 2003 and became a Royal Marine in 2009. He became drawn to mountaineering during a 2012 trek to Everest Base Camp; although he initially planned to return after reaching base camp, he changed his mind and went on to successfully summit Everest. In 2019, he climbed the world’s 14 tallest peaks in just six months – the shortest amount of time anyone has done that. Since then, he has established himself as one of the world’s best-known mountaineers.
