THE body of an ex-Brit army soldier and Netflix star has been recovered following a deadly avalanche that killed 10 people.
Former Gurkha and Royal Marine Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja’s body was transported from the snow-covered slopes at Broad Peak on Thursday nearly a week after the disaster.
The Netflix star was one of 10 people who lost their lives in what has been described as one of Pakistan’s deadliest mountaineering disasters.
Purja’s body, along with the bodies of Chinese climber Zhong Wang, Nepali climbers Nima Sherpa, Gyalu Sherpa and Kilu Sherpa were flown to an air base in Skardu before being transported to a military hospital, regional authorities said.
The deceased will later be flown to Pakistan’s capital Islamabad after coordination with the embassies of the climbers’ home countries, officials said.
Three bodies were previously brought from the mountain on August 1, with this recent flight bringing the number of recovered bodies to eight.
TRAGIC END
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AVALANCHE TRAGEDY
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A grief-stricken procession of Nepalese mourners surged around Pur Bahadur Gurung wooden coffin.
Part of the trio first taken off the mountain, the repatriated climber arrived in Nepal on Thursday.
Grieving relatives broke down over the coffin as it passed through the street.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said he is committed to the repatriation of the other climbers.
Two climbers remain missing and the search is ongoing.
The international team of climbers came from Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, China, Britain and the United States.
Mountaineering accidents are common in northern Pakistan, where climbers face hazards including avalanches, falling ice and rock, extreme altitude and rapidly changing weather.
A Chinese climber died last year after being struck by falling rocks while descending K2, the world’s second-highest mountain.
The bodies of foreign climbers who die attempting to summit Pakistans mountains are typically recovered only at the request of their families and governments.
If relatives decline recovery efforts, the remains are usually left on the mountain where the climbers died.
Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews embarked on a mission to recover the body of his older brother, Michael, who died on Mount Everest.
Michael tragically lost his life at just 22 years old—mere minutes after becoming the youngest Briton to reach the summit on May 13, 1999.
Spencer teamed up with the late internationally renowned climber Purja for the Disney+ documentary Finding Michael which aired in 2023.
Following Purja’s recent passing, Spencer shared a heartfelt tribute to his friend and co-star, describing the loss as “heartbreaking.”
Purja holds the record for climbing all of the world’s 14 8,000m peaks in just seven months.
The hikers had been scaling a particularly dangerous part of the 26,414ft mountain when an avalanche struck at around midday last week.
The group completely lost contact with the team back at base, sparking a frantic rescue mission.
Broad Peak Mountain is one of the toughest in the world to climb.
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