Full Breakdown
Deadly Broad Peak Avalanche Claims Ten Lives, Recovery Efforts Ongoing
8/9/2026, 12:07:47 PM
The Avalanche on Broad Peak
On July 30, 2026, an avalanche erupted on Broad Peak (8,047 m) in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region. The slide began at about 9:30 a.m. local time near 6,600 m, between Camps II and III on the West Spur route. GPS data recorded the start at 6,659 m and showed ten climbers swept down steep terrain, some for more than 1,200 vertical metres. No survivors were found.
Victims and Nationalities
The ten climbers were members of an international expedition organized by Elite Exped, Seven Summit Treks, and Imagine Nepal. The deceased included:
- Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja – British-Nepali mountaineer
- Pur Bahadur “Yukta” Gurung – Nepali IFMGA-certified guide
- Nima Sherpa – Nepali senior guide
- Gyalu Sherpa – Nepali record-holding climber
- Kili Pemba “Kilu” Sherpa – Nepali high-altitude guide
- Nawang Thindu Sherpa – Nepali guide
- Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy – Omani climber
- Wang Zhong – Chinese mountaineer
- Mallory Geis – American climber
- Sohail Sakhi – Pakistani guide
Three bodies remain unrecovered: Sohail Sakhi, Mallory Geis, and Nawang Thindu Sherpa.
Recovery Operations
The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) led the rescue. Nepali mountaineer Mingma Gyalje Sherpa coordinated ground teams that retrieved seven bodies from 5,000-5,700 m. Pakistani climbers Sirbaz Khan, Abid Baig, and Sherbaz Karim, together with Nepali climbers Dipen Gurung and Pemba Chhewang Sherpa, assisted in the descent.
On July 31, the ACP announced that five bodies had been air-lifted to the Combined Military Hospital in Skardu. Subsequent missions raised the total recovered count to eight, including Purja, Wang Zhong, Nima Sherpa, Gyalu Sherpa, and Kili Pemba Sherpa. The bodies were later transferred to Islamabad for repatriation.
Official Statements & Responses
Irfan Arshad Khan, president of the ACP, described the operation as “exceptionally challenging and technically demanding.” He confirmed the remains were being moved to a military hospital in Skardu and that coordination with the embassies of Nepal, Oman, the United Kingdom, and the United States was ongoing.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar expressed “deep sadness” over the tragedy and pledged continued support for the recovery effort.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Different outlets reported varying timelines and body counts. The Associated Press cited a July 31 avalanche and noted that five bodies were air-lifted on August 1. ExplorersWeb, Independent, and Lacrux placed the avalanche on July 30, 2026 and reported that seven bodies had been recovered by early August, with three still missing.
Why It Matters
The July 30 slide is the deadliest single event on Broad Peak. The loss of high-profile climbers such as Purja has resonated worldwide, prompting memorials in Kathmandu, at the Boudhanath Stupa, and at the Nepal Consulate in New York. The tragedy also renews discussion about objective hazards on 8,000-metre peaks and the limits of rescue capabilities at extreme altitude.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We will be remembering all our heroes throughout our lives,” — Ayush Tamang, organising-committee member
- “Late Pur Bahadur Gurung was undoubtedly a highly skilled IFMGA-certified mountain guide.” — Nima Sherpa, sherpa association secretary
