Avalanche Leaves 10 Climbers Missing on Broad Peak

World-renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja is among 10 climbers feared missing after an avalanche struck an expedition on Broad Peak in northern Pakistan, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan.

Purja, 43, who was born in Nepal and is widely known as Nims Dai, was leading the team when the avalanche hit the 8,047-meter (26,401-foot) mountain in the Karakoram range, the world's 12th-highest peak. The Alpine Club said it received "deeply concerning" reports about the incident on Thursday, adding that there had been no communication with the climbers since the avalanche.

The expedition includes five Nepalese climbers, as well as mountaineers from the United States, Pakistan, Oman, China, and another foreign national, according to Alpine Club Vice President Karrar Haidri.

Pakistani authorities and the Alpine Club are coordinating efforts to launch a search-and-rescue operation. Helicopters are expected to be deployed if weather conditions allow.

"The club prays for the safety and successful rescue of all the climbers and stands in solidarity with their families and the international mountaineering community during this difficult time," the organization said.

Purja is regarded as one of the world's most accomplished high-altitude climbers. In 2019, he made history by climbing all 14 mountains higher than 8,000 meters in just over six months, shattering the previous record of seven years.

His achievement gained worldwide attention and became the subject of the 2021 Netflix documentary chronicling his ambitious mission to summit the world's highest peaks in less than a year. During the challenge, Purja used supplemental oxygen, arguing that it was necessary given the unprecedented scale and speed of the project.

Before becoming one of the world's best-known mountaineers, Purja served in the British Army after joining in 2003 and later became a Royal Marine in 2009.