renowned mountaineer nirmal
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Renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja amongst ten missing after avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak

A ten-member international climbing expedition led by world-renowned Nepali-born mountaineer Nirmal “Nims” Purja has gone missing after a massive avalanche struck Broad Peak in Pakistan’s Karakoram range.

Communication with the group was completely cut off following the impact near the 8,047-metre summit. The missing team comprises five Nepalese guides, Pakistani mountaineer Sohail Sakhi, Omani climber Nadhira Al Harthy, American climber Mallory Geis, Chinese national Wang Zhong, and another foreign national.

Search and rescue operations were launched as weather conditions permitted, with the Pakistan Army dispatching helicopters to assist ground crews and rescue teams ascending from nearby mountains.

Initial tracking data from Purja’s device registered downhill movement following the slide, offering a faint glimmer of hope as emergency teams race against time in high-altitude conditions. The expedition was part of Purja’s attempt to become the first person in history to summit all fourteen of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks twice without supplemental oxygen.

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