Mountaineer Nirmal Purja, Star of Netflix's '14 Peaks,' Dies in Broad Peak Avalanche

Mountaineer Nirmal Purja, celebrated globally for his role in the Netflix documentary "14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible," has died along with nine other expedition members in an avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak. The accident occurred Thursday as the group was ascending the 8,047-meter (26,399 ft) mountain, located in northern Pakistan.

Communication with the international expedition, led by the 43-year-old British-Nepalese mountaineer, was lost immediately after the incident. Purja's company, Elite Expeditions, confirmed the tragic news on social media, stating, "With deep sadness and immense pain, we confirm that Nirmal Purja tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak." The company also reported that the other expedition members did not survive.

Purja gained international fame for his record-setting feat of climbing all 14 mountains over 8,000 meters (the "eight-thousanders") in just six months and six days between April and October 2019. The Netflix documentary chronicled this extraordinary achievement.

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With deep sadness and immense pain, we confirm that Nirmal Purja tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak.

Born into a humble family in southern Nepal, Purja served in the British Army's Gurkha Brigade and later in the Royal Marines' Special Boat Squadron. He transitioned from military service to pursue mountaineering full-time, where he set numerous records and became a mountain guide.

According to AFP, the snowslide occurred when the expedition was at an altitude of approximately 6,600 meters (21,650 ft) during their climb. The expedition comprised 10 individuals: Purja, five Nepalese climbers, one Pakistani, one Omani, one American, and one Chinese climber. Rescue teams continued search operations on Saturday amidst challenging weather conditions in the Gilgit-Baltistan region.

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Broad Peak, I ask you nothing more than a safe journey to the summit and back.