Famed Climber Nirmal Purja, Nine Others, Die in Avalanche in Pakistan, Hiking Company Says

Kathmandu: Celebrated Nepali climber ​Nirmal Purja, who set a record for the ‌fastest ascent of the world’s 14 highest mountains, died in an avalanche during an expedition in Pakistan, his company ​said on Saturday.

“Today it is with profound ​sadness and immense heartbreak that we confirm that ⁠Nirmal ‘Nimsdai’ Purja tragically lost his life following the ​avalanche on Broad Peak,” his expedition organising company ​Elite Exped said in an Instagram post.

“We have also received confirmation that other members of the expedition sadly did not ​survive,” it added, without giving details.

Purja, 43, and ​nine others had been missing since Thursday after being struck by ‌an ⁠avalanche on the 8,051-metre (26,414-foot) Broad Peak, the world’s 12th highest mountain, a technically difficult climb in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region.

Purja, who served with British special forces ​as a ​Gurkha, completed the ⁠record-breaking feat in six months in 2019. He became widely known internationally ​after the Netflix documentary chronicling his journey “14 ​Peaks: ⁠Nothing Is Impossible” was released two years later.

The 10 mountaineers were caught in an avalanche around midday on ⁠Thursday. ​Six of the 10 climbers ​were Nepalis and the others were from Pakistan, Oman, the U.S. ​and China.