The 10 people include five Nepalese, one Pakistani, one Omani, one Chinese, one American, and another foreign climber
The Alpine Club of Pakistan has reported that ten foreign climbers led by renowned Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja have gone missing in an avalanche in northern Pakistan.
According to media reports, the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) received reports of a team of 10 climbers missing after an avalanche hit Broad Peak (8,047 meters) in the Karakoram mountain range. The club said that the team was led by Nirmal Purja and has not been reached since the incident.
Broad Peak is the 12th highest mountain in the world. The ACP said the expedition includes 10 people, including five Nepalese, one Pakistani, one Omani, one Chinese, one American, and one other foreign climber whose nationality was not disclosed.
The club said the entire team has reportedly been out of contact since the avalanche. Every effort is being made to ensure that helicopter support and all available rescue resources are mobilized to the scene as soon as possible, subject to weather and operational conditions.
Broad Peak sits on the Pakistan-China border and is considered one of the most technically challenging 8,000-meter peaks. While less climbed than Everest or K2, it is notorious for sudden weather changes, crevasses, and avalanche risk, especially during the July-August summer climbing season.
The Karakoram range sees dozens of international expeditions each summer. 2025 and 2026 have already seen increased traffic due to shorter weather windows on Everest, pushing more teams toward Pakistan’s 8,000ers.
Nirmal “Nims” Purja is one of the world’s most famous high-altitude climbers. He gained global recognition for climbing all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks in 6 months and 6 days in 2019. He has led numerous commercial and record-setting expeditions in Nepal and Pakistan in recent years.
Pakistan’s northern mountains have seen several tragedies in the last decade, including the 2013 Nanga Parbat attack and multiple avalanche incidents on K2 and Gasherbrum. The government, ACP, and Pakistan Army’s High Altitude Rescue teams routinely coordinate rescues in the region.
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