Tragic news has emerged that affects both the international climbing community and fans of reality TV. The star of a Netflix documentary is currently missing after an avalanche took place during a climbing expedition on one of the highest mountains in the world.
Nirmal Purja, who can be seen in 2021’s “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible,” is among a group of 10 people that went missing, while four have already passed away after the sad incident, People reported on Friday, July 31.
Nirmal Purja Hasn’t Been In Contact Since the Avalanche
Purja, who was from Nepal, served in the British Army and received an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire), was acting as the expedition leader for the group that included American Mallory Geis, as well as six Nepalese climbers and individuals from China, Oman and Pakistan.
The avalanche occurred at approximately 12 p.m. local time on Thursday, July 30, on Broad Peak, which is found in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan released a statement on Instagram, noting that when it comes to the group of climbers that have been reported missing, “[t]he entire team has reportedly been out of communication since the avalanche.”
Search efforts are currently underway, with the Gilgit-Baltistan Police taking to Facebook to note that two helicopters from the Pakistan Army are helping to search for the lost climbers as well as “a team of expert porters” who are “present on the ground.”
While the police did confirm that four bodies had been recovered, it was the Alpine Club of Pakistan that shared an Instagram post identifying two of the climbers that had been lost, Oman’s Nadhira Al Harthy and Nepal’s Pur Bahadur Gurung “Yukta.”
Our hearts go out to their families.
Purja Posted About the Climb Days Before the Avalanche
On Monday, July 27, Purja took to X to share a message about the expedition.
“This was never the plan,” he wrote. “Initially, the plan was to climb just G2. But just before setting off for Pakistan, I ran the numbers on my 8000m summits. That’s when it hit me: if I tick off Broad Peak whilst I’m here, only one remains ‘Cho Oyu.’ Then I become the FIRST person in history to climb all 14 eight-thousanders twice. Without oxygen.”
While admitting that he was “criticized” when he ventured out to tackle the original 14 climbs without oxygen during Project Possible, he brought up his Netflix documentary, which focused on the epic feat, saying, “That film is the unfiltered truth. I was there doing multiple rescues of climbers left behind by other expeditions, raising the funds myself, leading from the front, fixing our own lines, dealing with the Shishapangma permit with China, being at hospitals for my mum’s operation and so much more.”
Purja went on to state, “And now? Now I’m heading for the double without oxygen: triple in total. The noise hasn’t stopped. I just stopped listening.”
The post has since gained plenty of replies from those who follow Purja and who are hoping that he’s soon found safely.
