Nirmal Purja among 10 climbers killed in Pakistan avalanche

Renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, whose record-breaking achievements were featured in the 2021 Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, was among 10 climbers confirmed dead after an avalanche struck Broad Peak in northern Pakistan.

The avalanche hit the expedition on Thursday as the climbers were ascending the 8,051-meter (26,414-foot) Broad Peak, the world's 12th-highest mountain, in the Karakoram range of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Elite Exped, the company involved in the expedition, described Purja's death as a major loss to the global climbing community.

"The world has lost one of mountaineering's greatest climbers," the company said in a statement. "We mourn not only Nims, but every life lost in this tragedy."

It added: "No words can ease the pain of this unimaginable loss."

Purja was leading the expedition when the avalanche struck.

Pakistani rescue teams recovered three bodies on Friday, including that of American climber Sarah Mallory Geis, but were forced to suspend operations because of severe weather and the difficult terrain.

The search resumed Saturday as rescuers worked to recover the remaining seven bodies.

"The loss of these courageous climbers, who came from different nations united by their passion for the mountains, is an immeasurable loss to the global mountaineering fraternity," said Irfan Arshad Khan, president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan.

"The mountains inspire us with their beauty, but they also remind us of the immense risks faced by those who venture into the high Himalaya and Karakoram," Khan added, thanking the military, Sherpas and civilians who participated in the rescue mission.

The victims included climbers from Pakistan, Nepal, China, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Purja, 43, rose to international prominence after completing the ascent of the world's 14 mountains higher than 8,000 meters in just over six months, a feat documented in the Netflix film 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible. A former Gurkha soldier, he later served with the United Kingdom's Special Boat Service before becoming one of the world's most accomplished high-altitude climbers.

British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting paid tribute to Purja, describing him as "an inspirational man who served in our Armed Forces for many years — and whose incredible mountaineering adventures are known the world over."