“Hey brother, greetings and namaste.” These were among the last words sent by renowned Nepali climber Nirmal Purja before an avalanche struck Broad Peak in Pakistan. Authorities have recovered four bodies from the disaster site, while Purja and five other climbers remain missing.
Purja, who was at Camp 2 halfway up the 8,047-metre mountain, sent a voice note to NDTV’s Vishnu Som shortly before the disaster. The message is believed to be his last official communication.
Just 14 hours before the avalanche incident on Broad Peak, Nepali mountaineer Nirmal “Nims” Purja sent a voice message to NDTV journalist Vishnu Som from Camp 2.#BroadPeak #Avalanche #NimsDai #Pakistan #MountainRescue #NirmalPurja pic.twitter.com/KrMlpfRKQA
— Royal Adventure Club
(@RoyalAdvClub) July 31, 2026
“Right now, I am on Camp 2 of Broad Peak which is among 8,000-metre mountains,” Purja said in the voice note.
“I am now running for my 58th summit of 8,000-metre peaks, which is the highest in the world. I just opened the internet to check the weather forecast. But this message got downloaded as well.”
He added, “I will be in touch after the summit… Hope you guys are well and it’s great to be connected. Thank you guys and greetings from Camp 2 on Broad Peak. Ciao Ciao.”
Four bodies recovered, six climbers still missing
Search teams have recovered four bodies from the avalanche site, while six climbers, including Purja, remain missing, officials said.
The avalanche struck on Thursday, cutting off communication with the international expedition team climbing Broad Peak, one of the world’s highest mountains. Rescue teams reached the area and recovered four bodies, with two identified as a Nepali climber and an Omani national.
The search operation was halted for the day due to difficult conditions and will resume on Saturday.
The expedition had 10 members, including five Nepalese climbers, a Pakistani, an Omani, an American, and a Chinese climber. Authorities said two British nationals were also part of the missing group.
Record-breaking climber behind ‘14 Peaks’
Purja, 43, became one of the world’s most famous mountaineers after climbing all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres in just six months and six days in 2019.
Update from G2:
We were the last team to pull into Basecamp. Even when we were at the Ali camp, most teams were already on Camp 1 or heading for their summit push. By the time we finally got to the G1 & G2 base camp, our duffels with the main climbing gear were delayed even… pic.twitter.com/m7yqq9z1WQ
— Nirmal Purja MBE (@nimsdai) July 23, 2026
He was the subject of the Netflix documentary, ‘14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible‘, which followed his record-breaking journey.
Before attempting Broad Peak, Purja wrote that he was aiming to become the first person to climb all 14 “super peaks” twice without supplemental oxygen.
“Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down,” he wrote on X. “I take zero mountains for granted. Not one. The moment my foot leaves basecamp, it’s 100%. Always has been. Always will be.”
Broad Peak, located in Pakistan’s Karakoram range, is considered one of the most challenging 8,000-metre climbs in the world.
(With inputs from agencies)
