Ten mountaineers missing after an avalanche on Broad Peak

Broad Peak – 31 July 2026: Following an avalanche on Broad Peak in northern Pakistan, ten mountaineers from an international expedition are missing. Among them is Nepali-British extreme mountaineer Nirmal Purja, known as Nims Dai. According to the Alpine Club of Pakistan, contact with the group led by Purja was lost after the avalanche. The incident was made public during the night from Thursday to Friday.

The expedition was on Broad Peak in the Karakoram, in the Gilgit-Baltistan region. The 8,047-metre peak is one of the planet’s 14 mountains higher than 8,000 metres. According to the Pakistani mountaineering federation, the missing group includes five Nepali mountaineers, one Pakistani participant, and expedition members from Oman, the United States, China and another country. No further details about their position at the time of the accident were initially available.

The Alpine Club of Pakistan said it was in contact with authorities to organise a search and rescue operation. Helicopters and other rescue resources were to be deployed if weather and operational conditions permitted. On Friday morning, it was unknown whether rescuers had already reached the relevant high-altitude area. No confirmed information was available regarding possible injuries or deaths.

Purja is among the best-known high-altitude mountaineers of our time. The British citizen born in Nepal climbed all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres in 189 days in 2019. His record ascent was later the subject of a documentary. Purja has travelled to Pakistan several times. The country is home to five of the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000 metres: K2, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II and Broad Peak.

The extreme altitude and remoteness of the location complicate any rescue operation. Avalanche risk, steep snow-covered slopes, deep snow and rapid weather changes can delay access by land. Helicopter operations are also hindered by poor visibility, strong winds and the technical limitations of aircraft at very high altitude. Even under favourable conditions, it is often difficult to reach people in the upper sections of a peak above 8,000 metres.

Broad Peak is located near K2 in a remote part of the Karakoram. Several international expeditions stay there during the summer climbing season; supplies and evacuations are complex because of the long distances. The search for Purja and the nine other missing people is a priority, the Pakistani mountaineering federation said. Relatives and the international mountaineering community are to be informed as soon as confirmed information becomes available.