Body of famed international climber Nirmal Purja and 3 more found after Pakistan avalanche

Body of famed international climber Nirmal Purja and 3 more found after Pakistan avalanche 1 of 3 | Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja, who became the fastest climber of the world’s 14 highest peaks, arrives at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Oct. 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha, File) 2 of 3 | In this photo released by the Pakistan" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="175240" data-entity-type="organization">Alpine Club of Pakistan on Friday, July 31, 2026, members of a mountaineers rescue team prepare to depart from an airbase on a search operation for climbers missing after an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak, in Skardu, in Gilgit-Baltistan’s region, in northern Pakistan. (Pakistan" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="175240" data-entity-type="organization">Alpine Club of Pakistan via AP) 3 of 3 | In this photo released by the Pakistan" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="175240" data-entity-type="organization">Alpine Club of Pakistan on Friday, July 31, 2026, members of a mountaineers rescue team pose for photo with honorary general secretary of Pakistan" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="175240" data-entity-type="organization">Alpine Club of Pakistan Ayaz Ahmed Shigri, center, before departing from an airbase on a search operation for climbers missing after an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak, in Skardu, in Gilgit-Baltistan’s region, in northern Pakistan. (Pakistan" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="175240" data-entity-type="organization">Alpine Club of Pakistan via AP) 1 of 3 | Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja, who became the fastest climber of the world’s 14 highest peaks, arrives at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Oct. 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha, File) 1 of 3 Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja, who became the fastest climber of the world’s 14 highest peaks, arrives at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Oct. 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha, File) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 2 of 3 | In this photo released by the Pakistan" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="175240" data-entity-type="organization">Alpine Club of Pakistan on Friday, July 31, 2026, members of a mountaineers rescue team prepare to depart from an airbase on a search operation for climbers missing after an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak, in Skardu, in Gilgit-Baltistan’s region, in northern Pakistan. (Pakistan" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="175240" data-entity-type="organization">Alpine Club of Pakistan via AP) 2 of 3 In this photo released by the Pakistan" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="175240" data-entity-type="organization">Alpine Club of Pakistan on Friday, July 31, 2026, members of a mountaineers rescue team prepare to depart from an airbase on a search operation for climbers missing after an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak, in Skardu, in Gilgit-Baltistan’s region, in northern Pakistan. (Pakistan" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="175240" data-entity-type="organization">Alpine Club of Pakistan via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 3 of 3 | In this photo released by the Pakistan" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="175240" data-entity-type="organization">Alpine Club of Pakistan on Friday, July 31, 2026, members of a mountaineers rescue team pose for photo with honorary general secretary of Pakistan" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="175240" data-entity-type="organization">Alpine Club of Pakistan Ayaz Ahmed Shigri, center, before departing from an airbase on a search operation for climbers missing after an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak, in Skardu, in Gilgit-Baltistan’s region, in northern Pakistan. (Pakistan" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="175240" data-entity-type="organization">Alpine Club of Pakistan via AP) 3 of 3 In this photo released by the Pakistan" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="175240" data-entity-type="organization">Alpine Club of Pakistan on Friday, July 31, 2026, members of a mountaineers rescue team pose for photo with honorary general secretary of Pakistan" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="175240" data-entity-type="organization">Alpine Club of Pakistan Ayaz Ahmed Shigri, center, before departing from an airbase on a search operation for climbers missing after an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak, in Skardu, in Gilgit-Baltistan’s region, in northern Pakistan. (Pakistan" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="175240" data-entity-type="organization">Alpine Club of Pakistan via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] ISLAMABAD (AP) — The remains of renowned British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja and three other climbers have been found by a ground team on Broad Peak, one of the world’s highest mountains, where a 10-member international expedition was swept away by an avalanche, officials said Sunday.The Pakistan" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="175240" data-entity-type="organization">Alpine Club of Pakistan identified the recovered climbers as Purja, Wang Zhong, Nima Sherpa and Kili Pemba Sherpa. The club praised military and civilian rescuers and volunteers involved in the recovery effort.On Friday, rescuers located four other bodies but were able to recover only three — Omani Nathira Ahmed, American Mallory Geis and Nepalese Bahadur Gurung — because harsh weather grounded search-and-rescue helicopters. Military-backed rescue teams resumed the search Sunday for the two remaining climbers, while efforts continued to bring down the bodies of Purja and the three others found by the ground team, local officials said. On Saturday, Purja’s expedition company said the world had lost one of mountaineering’s greats. The company described him as “a leader who inspired millions through his courage, humility and unwavering belief that human potential is far greater than we often imagine.”Pakistan" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="175240" data-entity-type="organization">Alpine Club of Pakistan President Irfan Arshad Khan said the tragedy was “an immeasurable loss to the global mountaineering fraternity.” He paid tribute to military and civilian rescuers and Sherpas who took part in the search mission. 5 MIN READ 3 MIN READ 3 MIN READ The expedition was led by Purja, the Nepal-born former British Army soldier widely known as Nims Dai. He climbed the world’s 14 highest peaks in a record 189 days in 2019, an achievement featured in the Netflix documentary “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.” His record was broken in 2023. A statement from Geis’ family said, “Mallory was a bright light who was loved deeply by her family and friends. She will be profoundly missed.”The expedition was expected to be the last one for Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi, who worked with Moving Mountains, a Pakistan-based adventure travel company. Sakhi also was a geographer and high-altitude photographer who had climbed some of the world’s major peaks, according to the company’s website. His body remained missing on Sunday. Riaz Khan reported from Peshawar, Pakistan.