Elite Exped also confirmed the deaths of Purja’s trusted climbing partners and guides, Pur Bahadur Gurung, popularly known as “Yukta”, and Nima Sherpa.

“Today, we mourn not only Nims, but every life lost in this tragedy including his trusted climbing partners and guides, Pur Bahadur Gurung (Yukta) and Nima Sherpa. Our deepest thoughts, prayers and heartfelt condolences are with their families, friends and loved ones. No words can ease the pain of this unimaginable loss, and we ask that everyone respects their privacy as they grieve,” the company added.

@nimsdai’s company Elite Exped has confirmed Nirmal Purja ‘tragically lost his following at Broad Peak’ along with all other 9 members of the team. pic.twitter.com/0ABu7k4E0c

— Izharullah (@Izhar2u) August 1, 2026

Pakistan expedites search operations

The confirmation came after Pakistani rescue teams, backed by military helicopters, spent two days searching for Purja and five other missing climbers following the avalanche.

Earlier, Pakistani authorities had confirmed the deaths of Omani climber Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy and American climber Mallory Geis after their bodies were recovered from the mountain. Search efforts were continuing for the remaining missing climbers.

Who was Nirmal Purja?

Purja, widely known as “Nimsdai” in the climbing community, was regarded as one of the greatest high-altitude mountaineers of his generation. A former British Army Gurkha and UK Special Forces soldier, he rose to global fame in 2019 after completing “Project Possible” by climbing all 14 of the world’s peaks above 8,000 metres in just 189 days, shattering the previous record of more than seven years. His feat was later documented in the Netflix film 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.

In recent years, Purja led several high-profile expeditions through Elite Exped and played a key role in major Himalayan rescues. Before departing for Broad Peak, he had announced plans to climb Cho Oyu as part of his ambition to become the first mountaineer to summit all 14 eight-thousanders twice.

Broad Peak, located near K2 in Pakistan’s Karakoram range, is considered one of the world’s most dangerous mountains because of its steep terrain, rapidly changing weather and high avalanche risk. Heavy snowfall in recent days had already prompted several expedition teams to abandon their summit attempts before the avalanche struck Purja’s team.

Tributes from climbers, expedition companies and mountaineering enthusiasts poured in on social media following confirmation of Purja’s death, with many describing him as one of the sport’s most influential and inspirational figures. His death marks one of the biggest losses to the global mountaineering community in recent years.

(With inputs from agencies)