Famed climber Nirmal Purja among 10 killed in avalanche

Celebrated climber Nirmal Purja and nine other mountaineers died in an avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak, according to their expedition company. Rescuers found four bodies on the mountain after searching for the ten-person expedition. Purja's company, Elite Expeditions, announced the tragic loss on social media, alongside confirmation of the deaths of other members.

The climbers had gone missing since Thursday, when the avalanche struck at around 6,600 meters on Broad Peak. Two Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters and an experienced ground team joined the rescue efforts on Friday. Four bodies were located the same day, though not yet recovered. The deaths of all 10 climbers were confirmed on Saturday.

The expedition comprised Purja, five Nepalese climbers, including several Sherpa guides, and mountaineers from four other countries. They included Pakistani Sohail Sakhi, Omani Nathira Ahmed, US climber Mallory Geis, and China's Wang Zhong. Purja, known as Nims Dai, was a British-Nepali mountaineer who gained fame for climbing all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters in less than six months in 2019.

He served in Britain's Brigade of Gurkhas and the elite Special Boat Service before becoming a full-time mountaineer and guide.