Omani mountaineer Nazeera Al-Harthi among 10 victims of Pakistan's Broad Peak after snow avalanche
The Omani News Agency announced the death of Omani mountaineer Nazira Al-Harthi following an avalanche while she was attempting to summit Broad Peak in the Karakoram range in northern Pakistan. The expedition included nine other members, among them British-Nepali mountain climbing star Nirmal Purja.
Purja’s company, Elite Expedition, stated in a social media post today, “With profound sadness, we confirm that Nirmal Purja tragically lost his life due to an avalanche on Broad Peak.” The company added, “We have also received confirmation that the rest of the expedition members, unfortunately, did not survive.”
The avalanche occurred on Thursday, cutting off contact with the 10-member international team led by Purja, 43. Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said, “We are all shocked by the deaths of six Nepali climbers and four foreign climbers, including Nirmal Purja,” adding, “Their story of courage and dedication will remain an inspiration to us.”
The regional government announced on Friday evening that American, Omani, and Nepali bodies had been among those recovered so far, before being airlifted to a hospital for official identification.
Purja was a former member of the Gurkha Brigade of the British Army and later served in the Royal Marines’ Special Boat Service. He broke numerous records since becoming a professional mountaineer and high-altitude guide, achieving several milestones, including climbing all 14 peaks over 8,000 meters in six months and six days in 2019.
On Saturday, the Gilgit-Baltistan police, the mountainous region in northern Pakistan, said that porters working at high altitudes and rescue teams continued their search operations for a second day, after being halted on Friday due to bad weather. Rescue workers and army helicopters had scoured the area since Thursday before spending the night at base camp, according to regional authorities.
The avalanche struck while climbers were attempting to ascend Broad Peak, which stands at 8,047 meters, when they were at an altitude of approximately 6,600 meters, according to regional authorities. Nayla Kiani, a member of the Pakistan Mountaineering Club, said, “GPS data indicates that they fell hundreds of meters down the mountain slope.”
Broad Peak is the world’s 12th highest summit and is classified among the most difficult and technically demanding peaks above 8,000 meters. The first ascent was achieved by an Austrian team in 1957.
