Ground recovery teams on Pakistan’s Broad Peak have begun moving the bodies of legendary mountaineer Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja and nine expedition members toward lower camps following Thursday’s fatal avalanche.
The disaster occurred at an elevation of roughly 6,600 meters on the 8,047-meter mountain as the team conducted its summit push. Purja’s expedition agency, Elite Exped, confirmed on Saturday that none of the 10 climbers caught in the slide survived.
Key Details:
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The Team: The casualties include Purja, five fellow Nepali mountaineers—among them veteran guides Pur Bahadur Gurung (“Yukta”) and Nima Sherpa—as well as climbers from the United States, China, Oman, and Pakistan.
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Recovery Operation: High-altitude rescue crews and local mountaineers are coordinating to transport the bodies down to Camp 1 for helicopter evacuation to Skardu.
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Legacy: Purja, 43, earned global acclaim in 2019 by climbing all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks in six months and six days. He was on Broad Peak attempting to complete his goal of summiting every 8,000-meter peak twice.