Avalanche on Broad Peak: Nirmal Purja Among Missing Climbers

An international expedition of ten mountaineers remains missing following a massive avalanche on Pakistan's 8,047-meter Broad Peak. The disaster occurred on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at an elevation of 6,600 meters between Camp 2 and Camp 3. As of Friday, July 31, 2026, rescue teams have located four deceased individuals, including Pur Bahadur Gurung of Nepal and Nadhira Alharthy of Oman. The remaining climbers, including renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, are yet to be found as severe weather conditions disrupt search operations.

The Alpine Club of Pakistan is coordinating an emergency response involving army helicopters and specialized drone technology. GPS telemetry suggests the team experienced a sudden, rapid descent consistent with the force of an avalanche. Nirmal Purja, famous for his record-breaking 14-peak ascent in 2019, was reportedly attempting a second circuit of the world's highest peaks without supplemental oxygen. The site of the incident remains highly unstable, presenting significant risks to search teams operating at high altitudes.

The international climbing community has expressed shock at the scale of the loss, which includes nationals from Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, the US, and China. If confirmed, the death of such prominent figures in global mountaineering would mark one of the most tragic events on an 8,000-meter peak in recent history. The incident raises urgent questions about safety protocols for high-altitude expeditions during the summer climbing season in the Karakoram range, with many calling for re-evaluation of commercial mountaineering risks in increasingly volatile mountain weather.