World-famous climber and Netflix star Nirmal Purja dies in Pakistan avalanche

Josh Milton | Senior science and technology reporter Published August 1, 2026 1:14pm Updated August 1, 2026 1:16pm Nirmal Purja (centre) was a famed mountaineer (Picture: AFP) A former British Army soldier died after 10 mountaineers were hit by an avalanche in Pakistan on Thursday. Nirmal Purja was leading a group up Broad Peak, one of the world’s highest mountains, when they went missing at around 9am. Four bodies were recovered on Friday, with three named as Nadhira Alharthy, the first Omani woman to summit Mount Everest; Sarah Mallory Geis, an American climber; and Pur Bahadur Gurung, a Nepali climber. But Purja’s guiding company Elite Exped confirmed today that the British-Nepali mountaineer was killed in an avalanche. Elite Exped said on Instagram today: ‘Today, it is with profound sa