A search team has retrieved the remains of renowned climber Nirmal Purja and several members of his team after they were killed in an avalanche on Broad Peak, the world’s 12th-highest mountain located in Pakistan.
Published On 7 Aug 20267 Aug 2026
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Mountaineer Nirmal Purja among those feared missing after avalanche hit Broad Peak, Pakistan alpine club says.
Published On 31 Jul 202631 Jul 2026
Ten climbers, led by renowned Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, are feared missing after an avalanche in northern Pakistan where they were on a climbing expedition, the country’s alpine club said.
“The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) has received deeply concerning reports of an avalanche that struck a team of climbers on Broad Peak (8,047m) in the Karakoram mountain range,” the club said late on Thursday, adding that the team was led by Purja and could not be reached since the incident.
Broad Peak is the 12th-highest mountain in the world.
The ACP said the expedition comprises 10 people, including five from Nepal, one from Pakistan, one from Oman, one from China, one from the United States, and another foreign climber whose nationality it did not disclose.
“The entire team has reportedly been out of communication since the avalanche,” the club said.
“Every possible effort is being made to ensure that helicopter support and all available rescue resources are mobilised at the earliest opportunity, subject to weather and operational conditions,” it added.
Purja, 43, also known as Nims Dai, has broken multiple climbing records since becoming a full-time mountaineer and tour guide in 2018, after leaving the British military.
He climbed all 14 “eight-thousanders” (peaks above 8,000 metres, or 26,000 feet) in six months and six days between April and October 2019, a record at the time.
In 2021, Purja completed the first winter ascent of K2 as part of a team of nine other Nepalese climbers.
Nepalese Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Monday, marking his first visit to China since Nepal’s Rastriya Swatantra Party won elections in March and formed a new government. The trip came just days after Khanal visited India, underscoring Kathmandu’s efforts to maintain strong ties with both regional powers.
China has long viewed Nepal as a key partner in its neighborhood diplomacy and has invested heavily in infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative. However, several projects have faced delays and financing disputes, limiting progress in bilateral cooperation.
Nepal’s new government is reshaping the country’s foreign policy at a time of growing competition between China and India for influence across South Asia. While China has sought deeper economic and strategic engagement with Nepal, the Himalayan nation remains closely linked to India through geography, trade, employment, and cultural ties.
Analysts say Kathmandu’s willingness to engage both powers gives it greater diplomatic leverage. The new government has signaled that it wants improved relations with India while also keeping Chinese investment and infrastructure cooperation on track. This balancing strategy could strengthen Nepal’s bargaining position as Beijing and New Delhi compete for regional influence.
The visit also comes as China faces questions about the effectiveness of some Belt and Road projects in Nepal, including concerns over costs and implementation delays at major infrastructure developments such as Pokhara International Airport.
Nepal is expected to continue pursuing a balanced foreign policy that avoids choosing sides between China and India. Beijing will likely push to accelerate infrastructure cooperation and demonstrate the benefits of its investments, while India will seek to strengthen ties with Nepal’s new leadership.
The success of this approach will depend on whether Nepal can secure tangible economic benefits from both neighbors while maintaining its strategic autonomy. Upcoming decisions on infrastructure financing, trade cooperation, and anti-corruption investigations could shape the future of Nepal’s relationships with Asia’s two largest powers.
With information from Reuters.