Nirmal Purja missing: Latest update as ‘Nimsdai’ GPS tracker shows ‘slight movement’ after avalanche leaves 10 missing

Nirmal Purja, world renowned climber, is among 10 missing after an avalanche struck Pakistan's Broad Peak, one of the world's highest mountains. The search is on for Nirmal Purja, world renowned climber, after 10 people went missing as an avalanche struck Pakistan's Broad Peak, one of the world's highest mountains.Nirmal Purja is among those missing during a mountain climbing expedition, after an avalanche hit. (X/@nimsdai)Purja, a former British Special Forces member, is Nepalese born and is better known as Nims Dai. He made history in 2019, climbing all of the world’s 14 peaks over 8,000 meters, taking a little over six months.Also Read | From the Himalayas to Mount Kilimanjaro: 5 international treks that will completely change the way you travelAs per the Everest Chronicle, rescue teams located four bodies while the search is on for the remaining climbers, including Purja. Helicopters are aiding the efforts as per reports.Nirmal Purja: Latest update as GPS tracker shows movementEverest Chronicle reported that Purja's GPS showed slight movement. However, they were quick to temper hopes saying it ‘might be a glitch’. You can track the GPS movement here.The publication further reported “Tracking data accessed by Everest Chronicle shows that Nimsdai reached an altitude of 6,659m at 9:38 a.m. local time on Thursday. The tracker then recorded a rapid descent of about 800 meters to 5,891 meters at 10:18 a.m., consistent with the reported avalanche.”What to know about the expedition and Purja The expedition has five Nepalese climbers, and nationals from the US, Pakistan, China, and Oman. Reportedly, another foreign national was part of the group, though there's no information on said individual. Purja gained popularity after starring in a 2021 Netflix documentary where he tried to climb the 14 highest mountains in the world in less than a year. The last record was seven years. Also Read | Man leaves Mumbai for Uttarakhand village, starts homestays with IITian partner: ‘Mountains offered a chance to…’During his climbs, Purja had opted for the use of supplementary oxygen when he made the ascent. He justified this choice, saying that the challenge he'd set himself was huge. Purja joined the British Army in 2003. He became a Royal Marine in 2009. Statement on avalanche The Alpine Club of Pakistan issued a statement after the avalanche. “The club prays for the safety and successful rescue of all the climbers and stands in solidarity with their families and the international mountaineering community during this difficult time,” it said, as per The Guardian. Broad Peak in the Karakoram range is 8,047-meter (26,401-foot) high, and is the world's 12th highest mountain. Shuvrajit has over seven years of experience covering US, India, and world news. An English Literature postgraduate from Jadavpur University, Shuvrajit started off covering entertainment, gaming and all things pop culture. There were brief periods away from the media industry, with short stints in content marketing, ed-tech and academic editing. However, the newsroom beckoned and over the last few jobs, Shuvrajit has exceedingly focused on team functioning as well, including tracking news and assigning tasks, working on everyday breaking news, framing detailed coverage plans, and creating immersive and data-driven stories. In his time as a digital journalist, he has covered a Lok Sabha election, multiple state elections, Union Budgets and award ceremonies. He has also helped in planning content for company event panels in the past. For work, Shuvrajit enjoys dabbling with data visualization, editing tools, and AI chatbots and attempts to incorporate AI workflows in everyday tasks. He is deeply interested in geopolitics, sports, films and music. Prompting is a new fascination for Shuvrajit now. Apart from that, he can be found doom-scrolling, sharing memes, or cheering on his favorite football team.Read MoreMountainAvalancheGet the latest World News, breaking headlines and global updates from the US, UK, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Russia and other countries. Follow major international events on Hindustan Times.