Nirmal Purja, the legendary mountaineer who in 2019 shattered every previous record by summiting the world’s 14 highest peaks in just over six months, has died in an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan. According to his company, none of the other nine members of the expedition survived either.

Good Bye 💔
The Legend …
The Mountain Man….
The conqueror of Mountains….
The Beast of Mountains….
Nirmal Purja AKA “Nims Dai”

You will always be remembered for your courage.#BroadPeak #Avalanche #NimsDai #Pakistan #MountainRescue #mingma #nirmalpurja #recovery… pic.twitter.com/3n2e8Icjd5

— Royal Adventure Club (@RoyalAdvClub) August 1, 2026

Elite Expeditions, the firm Purja himself founded, announced via social media that his death had been confirmed, describing “profound sadness and immense heartbreak”. The same statement said the remaining nine members of the expedition, who were swept away by Thursday’s avalanche, had also died.

Pakistani authorities had earlier announced the recovery of the bodies of three climbers who took part in the ten-member expedition: American climber Mallory Geis, Omani climber Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, and Nepali climber Pur Bahadur Gurung. Subsequent searches confirmed there were no survivors.

Born in Nepal, Purja was a former British special forces soldier, having served with the Gurkhas and later the Special Boat Service (SBS), Britain’s elite naval commando unit. He was widely regarded as one of the most significant figures in modern mountaineering. He became a global name in 2019 with his “Project Possible” mission, in which he climbed all 14 peaks over 8,000 metres in just six months and six days, smashing the previous world record, which had taken almost eight years to set.

His journey was chronicled in the Netflix documentary “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible”, which showcased not only his achievements but also his belief that the limits of human endurance can be overcome through persistence and thorough preparation.

His death on Broad Peak, one of the most demanding mountains in the Karakoram range, has shocked the global mountaineering community, which is mourning a man who transformed the sport and inspired thousands of climbers worldwide.