Famous Mountaineer Who Conquered 14 Peaks Dies in Avalanche

Famous Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, who conquered the world's 14 highest peaks in record time, in Pakistan lost his life as a result of an avalanche on Mount Broad Peak. As a result of the tragedy, nine other expedition participants also died with him.

The mountaineer's Elite Exped expedition company officially confirmed his death on August 2. The statement noted that the massive avalanche on Broad Peak had tragic consequences for the entire group.

It was reported that the avalanche occurred on July 31 while 43-year-old Nirmal Purja was leading a 10-member group to the 8,051-meter-high peak of Broad Peak. Following the incident, the mountaineers were considered missing.

Rescuers conducted search operations for several days. However, bad weather, strong winds, and the complexity of the mountainous terrain made the operation significantly difficult. It was later revealed that those who died included Pur Bahadur Gurung from Nepal, Mallory Geys from the US, and Nadhira al-Harsy from Oman.

Nirmal Purja became famous worldwide in 2019. He set a world record by conquering all 14 peaks on Earth higher than 8,000 meters in just 189 days. This huge achievement was later captured by Netflix in the "14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible" made even more widely known through the documentary film.

Experts consider Broad Peak one of the most dangerous and technically complex mountains in Pakistan. Altitude, harsh climate, and unexpected avalanches always put expeditions here at great risk.

The Government of Nepal and the mountaineering community assessed Nirmal Purja's death as a great loss. It is emphasized that his courage, records, and contribution to the development of mountain sports will be remembered for many years.