Days after going missing, the body of renowned mountaineer Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja has been recovered on Broad Peak in Pakistan. In a social media post, the Alpine Club of Pakistan confirmed that Purja was found at an altitude of approximately 5,700 meters, near the site where three other bodies were also sighted. The club stated that a ground rescue team is currently transporting four bodies—including Purja’s—down the mountain.
Where Was Nirmal Purja’s Body Found?
The body of the 43-year-old British-Nepali mountaineer was recovered by the Alpine Club on Broad Peak in Pakistan. “The ground rescue team has reached Nims Dai (Purja) at approximately 5,700 m on Broad Peak—a mountain he loved, and a mountain that has now taken him from us,” the Alpine Club shared in a statement. The club’s general secretary, Ayaz Shigri, stated that the ground rescue team is transporting four bodies from the mountain, including Purja, two other Nepali nationals, and a Chinese citizen. Rescuers have also confirmed the presence of an additional body at a higher elevation.
Search and Rescue Operations Underway
Search and rescue teams were deployed to trace and locate the missing passengers. Reports indicate that authorities have yet to determine the exact cause of the accident. Footage shared by news outlets showed several individuals in life jackets, while other emerging videos show people climbing down from the ferry as flames and thick plumes of smoke billow from the top of the vessel.
Who Was Nirmal Purja and When Did He Go Missing?
Purja, a legendary mountaineer, posted on X shortly before his expedition that he was close to becoming the first person to climb all 14 “super peaks” twice without supplemental oxygen. “Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down. I take zero mountains for granted,” he wrote. Rescuers had been facing severe difficulties on the high-altitude mountainside for days during air and ground operations after contact was lost with the climbing team. Purja served in the British military for 16 years—including a tenure in the elite Special Boat Service—before breaking multiple world records as a full-time mountaineer and expedition guide. He is survived by his wife and three-year-old daughter, who live in Hampshire in southern England.
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Shamshad Ali is a New Delhi–based journalist with over six years of experience spanning breaking news writing, on-the-ground reporting, and editing. When he isn’t chasing headlines, Shamshad is usually exploring new destinations, discovering hidden culinary gems, and striking up conversations with strangers. Many of whom turn out to be great sources, and even better friends. He can be reached at shamshadali.dar@gmail.com.
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