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Bodies of famed international climber Nirmal Purja and 3 others recovered after Pakistan avalanche

Bodies of famed international climber Nirmal Purja and 3 others recovered after Pakistan avalanche

From Gulf Today · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Outcome reported
  • The bodies of renowned climber Nirmal Purja and three others have been recovered after a deadly avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak.
  • A 10-member international expedition was swept away by the avalanche on Thursday.
  • Rescue efforts faced difficulties due to bad weather, with two climbers still missing.

The remains of celebrated British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja, known as Nims Dai, and three other members of a 10-person international expedition have been recovered from Broad Peak in Pakistan. The group was struck by a devastating avalanche on Thursday, cutting off communication.

The ground rescue team has reached Nims Dai (Purja) at approximately 5,700m on Broad Peak, a mountain he loved, and a mountain that has now taken him from us.

โ€” Alpine Club of PakistanAnnouncing the recovery of Nirmal Purja's body and acknowledging the tragic circumstances.

The Alpine Club of Pakistan announced that a ground rescue team reached Purja at approximately 5,700 meters on the mountain. The club confirmed the recovery of Purja, Wang Zhong, Nima Sherpa, and Kili Pemba Sherpa. The recovery operation was significantly hampered by adverse weather conditions.

Earlier, rescuers had located four bodies, but harsh weather grounded helicopters, allowing the recovery of only three: Omani Nathira Ahmed, American Mallory Geis, and Nepalese Bahadur Gurung. Search efforts resumed on Sunday for the two remaining missing climbers, while efforts continued to bring down the bodies of Purja and the three others found by the ground team.

Mallory was a bright light who was loved deeply by her family and friends. She will be profoundly missed.

โ€” Geis familyRemembering American climber Mallory Geis after her body was recovered.

Purja, a former British Army soldier, achieved fame in 2019 by climbing the world's 14 highest peaks in a record 189 days, a feat documented in the Netflix film "14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible." His expedition company remembered him as a leader who inspired millions with his courage and belief in human potential. The tragedy is considered an immeasurable loss to the global mountaineering community.

an immeasurable loss to the global mountaineering fraternity.

โ€” Irfan Arshad KhanPresident of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, commenting on the impact of the climbers' deaths.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Gulf Today. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.