Mountaineer Nirmal Purja killed in Broad Peak avalanche, his company confirms

Celebrated mountaineer Nirmal Purja, a former British Army soldier best known for climbing the world's 14 highest mountains in record time, has died in the avalanche that struck Broad Peak in Pakistan, his expedition company announced on Saturday.

Elite Expeditions confirmed Purja's death in a statement posted on social media, saying it was sharing the news with "profound sadness and immense heartbreak."

The company said all 10 members of the expedition lost their lives in Thursday's avalanche, with no survivors from the team.

Born in Nepal, Purja rose to international fame in 2019 after completing all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres in just over six months, a feat that earned global recognition.

Before the company's confirmation, Pakistani authorities recovered the bodies of three climbers from the expedition. The deceased were identified as American climber Mallory Geis, Omani national Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, and Nepalese climber Pur Bahadur Gurung.