KATHMANDU: The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) has confirmed that the body of renowned Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, popularly known as Nims Dai, has been recovered from Broad Peak in Pakistan.
According to the ACP, Purja’s body was found at an altitude of approximately 5,700 meters, three days after an avalanche struck the mountain and left him and his expedition team missing.
In a statement issued Sunday, the ACP said a rescue team reached the site and recovered Purja’s body along with three other bodies whose identities have not yet been officially confirmed. Efforts are now underway to transport the bodies to Japanese Camp.
On Saturday, Purja’s expedition management company, Elite Exped, announced that Purja and members of his climbing team had died in the avalanche.
The bodies of Omani climber Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy and Nepali climbers Pur Bahadur Gurung and Gyalu Sherpa were recovered on Saturday. The remains of American climber Sarah Mallory Geis were also found.
ACP Secretary General Ayaz Shigri said the rescue operation has been severely hampered by difficult terrain, continuing avalanche risk, and poor weather conditions that have prevented helicopter deployment. An eight-member ground rescue team consisting of Pakistani and Nepali climbers is continuing the recovery operation.
Purja’s expedition included 10 members: six Nepali climbers and one climber each from Pakistan, Oman, the United States, and China.
The ACP said the information released so far is based on preliminary reports and urged the public to refrain from circulating unverified information until the official identification process is completed.
