Watch: Broad Peak avalanche that killed record-breaking mountaineer Nirmal Purja and his crew
Pakistan-based tour operator Karakoram Vision said the visuals were captured from base camp on July 30 as the group climbed the mountain. It claimed an avalanche struck above the climbers and that no one was visible after the snow cleared. The visuals have not been independently authenticated.
What happened on Broad Peak?
The avalanche at about 5,700 metres swept away the 10-member expedition on Thursday on Broad Peak, an 8,051-metre mountain in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s Gilgit-Baltistan region and the world’s 12th-highest peak.The group included climbers from Nepal, Pakistan, the US, Oman and China. Ground and military-backed rescue teams searched the mountain with helicopters and drones, but poor weather and hazardous terrain hampered operations. By Sunday, rescuers had located eight bodies, including Purja’s, while teams continued searching for the remaining two climbers and worked to bring the bodies down.
Who was Nirmal Purja ?
Purja, 43, was a Nepal-born British mountaineer and former British Army soldier. 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. The record was broken in 2023.He was also part of the all-Nepali team that completed the first winter ascent of K2 in 2021. Prince William was among those who paid tribute, describing Purja as one of the world’s greatest mountaineers and offering condolences to the families of those killed.
