‘OUT OF COMMUNICATION’

Star of Netflix Documentary Missing After Avalanche

A record-setting climber who starred in a hit Netflix documentary is feared to have been caught in an avalanche.

World-renowned climber Nirmal Purja, who starred in a hit Netflix documentary, has gone missing after an avalanche on one of the highest peaks in the world. The 43-year-old climber rose to global fame in 2019 after completing a historic sprint up all 14 of the world’s peaks above 8,000 meters in just over six months, a feat that was captured in the Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible. Purja was scaling Pakistan’s 26,400-foot-tall Broad Peak with 10 other climbers on Thursday when an avalanche hit, CNN reports. In a statement, the Alpine Club of Pakistan said it “has received deeply concerning reports of an avalanche that struck a team of climbers on Broad Peak.” The expedition team reportedly included climbers from Pakistan, Oman, China and the U.S. “The entire team has reportedly been out of communication since the avalanche,” the Alpine Club’s statement said. The Alpine Club said it was working with the authorities to launch an immediate search-and-rescue operation, with helicopter support and other available resources being prepared. Before becoming a global climbing sensation, Purja served in the British Armed Forces. He was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 2018.