Renowned mountaineer and former British Army soldier Nirmal Purja is among those killed in an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan, his company has said.
Elite Expeditions shared the news on social media, saying it was with “profound sadness and immense heartbreak” that it confirmed Purja’s death in Thursday’s avalanche.
It also said that the other nine members of the expedition had died.
Purja, a Nepali-born climber, was known for scaling the world’s 14 highest peaks in just over six months in 2019.
Pakistani officials previously said the bodies of three climbers – American Mallory Geis, Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy from Oman and Pur Bahadur Gurung from Nepal – who were among the 10-person expedition had been recovered.
Purja’s death was also confirmed by Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah, who said on social media 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,” the prime minister added.
Rescue teams in Pakistan had been searching for the climbers on the world’s 12th-highest summit.
Purjam 43, became widely known following a Netflix documentary chronicling his journey, 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, released in 2021.
The avalanche happened on Thursday on the 8,047m (26,400ft) peak in the Karakoram range.
The multinational climbing group was being led by Purja, who joined the British Army in 2003 and the Special Boat Service – the Royal Navy’s special forces unit – in 2009.
Broad Peak is regarded as one of the more challenging mountains for climbers. The first successful ascent was in 1957, when an Austrian expedition reached the summit.
Since then, many more have climbed the mountain, but dozens have lost their lives.
One of Broad Peak’s deadliest years was 2013, when at least six fatalities were recorded.
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