Purja's impact goes far beyond any one nation: ACP
Kathmandu,
Aug. 2
Bodies of four mountaineers including Nirmal Purja who went missing
while climbing the Broad Peak (8,047 metre) in Pakistan have been recovered at
about 5,700 m on the mountain.
The
Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) informed in an Instagram post on Sunday afternoon
that the bodies of Purja, Wang Zhong, Nima Sherpa and Kili Pemba Sherpa 'Kilu'
were recovered while the rescuers also confirmed the presence of one additional
body at a significantly higher elevation.
"Due to the extremely
hazardous terrain and prevailing conditions, it is unlikely that a recovery
attempt will be made at this stage," said the Club while commending the
extraordinary courage and professionalism of the Pakistani and Nepali rescue
team carrying out this difficult mission under some of the world’s most
challenging high-altitude conditions.
The dead bodies were being
brought down to Camp 1 of Peak, world's 12th highest mountain, and
downwards by the ground rescue team.
With
this the number of bodies recovered reaches eight. However, the APC maintained
that the information was preliminary field report and is subject to further
confirmation.
The
bodies of Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy of Oman and Pur Bahadur Gurung of
Nepal were recovered on Friday while Gyalu Sherpa's body was recovered on
Saturday.
Quoting
ACP President Irfan Arshad, Pakistan's Dawn reported that the remains believed
to be of American climber Sarah Mallory Geis were also recovered.
Purja
was leading a 10-member team – six Nepalis and one each from China, Oman,
Pakistan and the United States.
Myagdi
mourns Purja's death
Our Myagdi Correspondent
reported that Purja's birth place in Myagdi district is mourning his death. He
was born in Dana of Annapurna Rural Municipality-3, and is being remembered
across the district for his extraordinary achievements in mountaineering. In
honour of his passing, Annapurna Rural Municipality has declared Monday a day
of mourning.
In a condolence statement
issued on Sunday, Annapurana's Chair Bharat Kumar Pun announced that all
municipal offices, ward offices, health institutions and community schools
under the municipality would remain closed on Monday, except for essential
services.
In its statement, the
municipality said Purja's contribution to taking Nepal's mountaineering sector
to new heights, establishing the identity and prestige of Nepali climbers on
the international stage, and setting an unparalleled example of courage, leadership
and dedication would always be remembered.
Acting Chief of the District
Coordination Committee, Dil Kumari Khatri, expressed sorrow over his death,
saying the district had lost one of its most talented mountaineers and the
nation had lost a source of immense pride.
The 43-year-old mountaineer
and former British Army personnel had set a world record by climbing all 14
mountains above 8,000 metres in the shortest time ever, in six months six days.
"His impact reached far
beyond any one nation, more than the records themselves, he gave people
everywhere a reason to believe that the impossible was simply something no one
had dared attempt hard enough yet, inspiring dreamers and climbers
across the globe to chase what once seemed unreachable," said the ACP.
It termed that Purja's death
was a loss on the very mountains he so loved is a devastating blow to the
global mountaineering family. "But his legacy of pushing limits, of
proving that the impossible is only impossible until someone dares to do it,
will endure in every climber, everywhere, who follows the trail he blazed,"
it said in the social media post.
'Truly saddened'
Prince William of the UK said
that he was 'truly saddened' by the tragic death of Purja and those who lost
their lives in the avalanche.
"Nims
(Nirmal) served with distinction in the British Armed Forces before becoming
one of the world’s greatest mountaineers, putting Nepalese climbers on the map.
His relentless pursuit of what seemed impossible, combined with his humility
and selflessness, made him truly unique," he wrote in his post on X.
Earlier, on Sunday afternoon,
Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) informed in a statement that the Embassy
of Nepal in Islamabad is facilitating the necessary arrangements for the
repatriation of the deceased climbers' remains to Nepal.
"We commend the courage
and dedication of the Pakistani and Nepali mountaineering teams involved in
conducting these challenging rescue efforts in the high-altitude terrain,"
it said.
Published in The Rising Nepal on 3 August 2026.
