Nirmal Purja, who starred in the Netflix documentary 14 Peaks, has passed away. As reported by the BBC, he is one of 10 people who died following a devastating avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan.
Nirmal Purja's company, Elite Expeditions, confirmed his passing in a post on social media. "Today [August 1], it is with profound sadness and immense heartbreak that we confirm that Nirmal "Nimsdai" Purja, tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak."
"We have also received confirmation that the other members of the expedition sadly did not survive," the statement continued.
Elite Expeditions confirmed that other members of the company tragically died after the avalanche. These included his "trusted climbing partners and guides, Pur Bahadur Gurung (Yukta) and Nima Sherpa."
The statement from the Netflix star's company also extended their "sincere gratitude to the search and rescue teams... And everyone who supported the response under incredibly difficult circumstances." Six Nepalese nationals and four others died from the avalanche.
Pakistani authorities had previously announced that they had found four of the bodies, and were looking for the others. Unfortunately, nobody was found alive.
Purja was known for scaling all of the world's 14 highest peaks in just over six months. He documented his journey in Netflix's 14 Peaks. He was also a former Gurkha British Army soldier.
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Tributes Have Poured in for the Netflix Star
Tributes have poured in for the Netflix star, from officials and fans alike.
Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah said that "the tragic death of six Nepalese and four other foreign climbers, including world record holder Nirmal Purja, in the Karakoram mountain range of Pakistan, has shocked us. The history of their courage, dedication, and contributions will always remain inspiring."
Fans also shared condolences on social media. One mountain climber wrote, "Rest in peace Nims Dai, not only people, even mountains will remember your legacy."
A fan who watched his Netflix documentary reminisced about how it changed her life. "I was so inspired by your journey," she wrote, 2that I started reading about you and, from that day, I always hoped that one day I'd get the chance to meet you."
Rest in peace to all those who died.
