Renowned Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja among 10 missing on Pakistan peak

Nirmal Purja, one of the world's most celebrated climbers, is feared missing after an avalanche struck Pakistan's Broad Peak - the world's 12th-highest mountain.

In Short

• The incident struck Broad Peak, one of the world's highest mountains
• Rescue concerns grew after reports said 10 climbers remained untraced
• Nirmal Purja is a noted Nepalese climber and ex-British Special Forces member

Renowned Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja, a former British Special Forces member, is among 10 climbers feared missing following an avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak - the world's 12th-highest mountain. Popularly known as 'Nims Dai', Purja (43) was leading an expedition team to scale the 8,047-metre (26,400 ft) peak when the avalanche struck in the Karakoram mountain range.

According to local reports, communication has been lost with all 10 members of the team, which includes an American, a Chinese national, an Omani and five Nepalis. Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi was also part of the team. According to the Pakistan Alpine Club, the avalanche struck around Thursday afternoon, and efforts are on to send a rescue helicopter to the peak.

WHO IS NIRMAL PURJA?

Purja, one of the world's most celebrated climbers, shot to the limelight in 2019 after scaling all the 14 peaks over 8,000 meters in just over six months - a record that remains to this day. To put it in perspective, the previous record was set by South Korean Kim Chang-ho, who completed the feat in seven years.

Purja's incredible feat was chronicled in the Netflix documentary "14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible".

Before mountains fascinated him, Purja was a decorated soldier in the British army, serving it for 16 years. His first posting was with the Brigade of Gurkhas. Later, he joined the Special Boat Service, the paramilitary unit of the UK's Royal Navy.

In 2018, Purja was honoured with the Member of the Order of the British Empire for his military service.

Growing up in Nepal, Purja was naturally drawn to the mountains.

In 2012, he trekked to the Everest Base Camp, an experience that "fired his passion and ambition for the mountains", according to Purja's website for his foundation, Nimsdai. The foundation supports mountain communities in Nepal.

That sojourn marked the beginning of his remarkable mountaineering career.

Broad Peak, located in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region, near the China border, has often been regarded as one of the more challenging mountains for climbers.

"Every effort is being made to ensure that helicopter support and all available rescue resources are mobilised at the earliest opportunity, subject to weather and operational conditions," the Pakistan Alpine Club said in a statement.

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