Prince William has said he was “truly saddened to hear of the tragic death” of Nirmal Purja, the former British special forces soldier and Netflix climbing star who was killed in an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan.
Purja, 43, was leading an expedition of ten climbers on the mountain, the world’s 12th-highest at 8,047 meters, when the avalanche struck at around 12pm local time on Thursday. All ten members of the expedition were confirmed dead.
His body was found alongside other members of the group following search efforts, according to his climbing company Elite Expeditions.
Tributes from the Prince of Wales
Writing on X, the Prince of Wales praised Purja’s military service and mountaineering career. William said Purja “served with distinction in the British Armed Forces before becoming one of the world’s greatest mountaineers, putting Nepalese climbers on the map.” He added that Purja’s “relentless pursuit of what seemed impossible, combined with his humility and selflessness, made him truly unique,” and said his thoughts were with Purja’s family and the families of all those who died.
Ten dead, including climbers from five countries
Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah confirmed that ten people in total were killed. The dead included Purja, five Nepalis, one climber from Pakistan, one from Oman, one from the United States and one from China.
Three climbers were individually identified: Nepalese climber Pur Bahadur Gurung, Omani climber Nathira Ahmed and American climber Mallory Geis.
Naila Kiana, a spokeswoman for the Alpine Club of Pakistan, described Purja as a “very experienced climber” and “fearless.”
Elite Expeditions statement
Elite Expeditions said in a statement that it confirmed “with profound sadness and immense heartbreak” that Purja had “tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak.” The company also confirmed the deaths of climbing partners Pur Bahadur Gurung and Nima Sherpa, and asked that the public respect the privacy of families as they grieve.
Tributes from Bear Grylls and Spencer Matthews
British adventurer Bear Grylls described the incident as heartbreaking for “so many climbers around the world” who knew Purja, adding: “We will never forget you, Nims and your unstoppable spirit.”
Spencer Matthews, 37, a former reality television star who had enlisted Purja and Grylls to help search for the body of his brother Michael on Everest, shared a photo with the mountaineer on Instagram and described the news as “heartbreaking.” Matthews said those lost should “be remembered not only for how they died, but for how they lived, the courage they showed, and the lives they touched.”
A record-breaking career
Born in a village in western Nepal, Purja joined the Gurkhas in his teens. He joined the British Army in 2003 and became part of the Special Boat Service in 2009, the first Gurkha to join the elite unit. He served 16 years in the military, ten of them in special forces, and was awarded an MBE in 2018 for his achievements in extreme high-altitude mountaineering.
In 2016, he rescued a climber left in the Everest death zone, bringing her to safety alone. He later climbed all 14 of the world’s mountains above 8,000 meters in 189 days, breaking the previous record by more than seven years. The feat was the subject of a Netflix documentary, 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.
Purja lived with his wife and three-year-old daughter in Hampshire, England.
