Mountaineer Nirmal Purja killed in Pakistan avalanche, his company says

World-record mountaineer Nirmal Purja, a former British special forces soldier and the first person to climb all 14 of the world's 8,000-meter peaks in a single season, was killed Thursday when an avalanche swept Broad Peak in Pakistan, his expedition company Elite Expeditions announced. The company said with "profound sadness" that Purja had died in the disaster, and that none of the other nine climbers with him had survived.

The 43-year-old Nepali-born climber, widely known as Nims, had risen to international fame in 2019 when he climbed all 14 eight-thousanders in just 189 days, shattering the previous record by more than seven years. His feat was chronicled in the 2021 Netflix documentary "14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible," which brought him global recognition.

A record-breaking mountaineer

Purja spent 16 years in the British military, including a decade in the special forces, and was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 2018 for his achievements in extreme high-altitude mountaineering. He also claimed to be the first Gurkha to summit Everest while serving in the British army.

His "Project Possible" campaign in 2019 was initially met with skepticism, but he completed the grueling challenge in just over six months. "It has been a gruelling but humbling six months, and I hope to have proven that anything is possible with some determination, self-belief and positivity," he said at the time.

The fatal ascent on Broad Peak

The avalanche struck Thursday on Broad Peak, the world's 12th-highest mountain at 8,047 meters (26,400 feet), in the Karakoram range. The multinational expedition, led by Purja, had been attempting the summit when the disaster occurred. Rescue teams searching for the climbers recovered the bodies of three expedition members: American Mallory Geis, Oman's Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, and Nepali climber Pur Bahadur Gurung.

Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah said on social media that the "tragic death of six Nepalese and four other foreign climbers" had shocked the nation. He praised their courage and dedication, saying their contributions would remain an inspiration.

A final ambition left unfulfilled

In his last post on X, published Monday, Purja revealed that climbing Broad Peak had not been part of his original plan. He had intended to climb Gasherbrum II, but realized that if he also conquered Broad Peak, he would be only one mountain away from becoming the first person to climb all 14 eight-thousanders twice without supplemental oxygen.

"This wasn't planned," he wrote. "But opportunities don't scream: they whisper to those already working in silence." He added, "Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down. I take zero mountains for granted."

Broad Peak is considered one of the more challenging Himalayan giants, with dozens of fatalities since its first successful summit in 1957. In 2013 alone, at least six climbers died there. The mountaineering community now mourns the loss of one of its most driven and accomplished members.

As rescue efforts continue, questions are emerging about avalanche safety and the risks of high-altitude climbing. Purja's death leaves a void in a sport he had redefined, and his final journey has become a somber reminder of the peril that always accompanies the pursuit of the world's highest summits.