Noted Nepali climber Nirmal Purja among 10 dead in Pakistan avalanche
Record-breaking mountaineer Purja and the 9 other climbers – from China, Nepal, Pakistan, Oman and the US – had been missing since Thursday
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 on social media.
“We have also received confirmation that other members of the expedition sadly did not survive,” it said.
Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah said he was stunned at the deaths of the climbers, including Purja.
“Only physical journey of the climbers has stopped. But the history of their courage, dedication and contributions will always remain alive and inspiring,” Shah wrote in a social media post.
Purja, 43, and nine others had been missing since Thursday after being struck by an avalanche on the 8,051-metre (26,414-ft) Broad Peak, the world’s 12th-highest mountain, a technically difficult climb in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region.