Mountaineer Nirmal Purja killed in Pakistan avalanche, his company says

Renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja is among 10 people killed in an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan, his company has said.Sharing the news on social media, Elite Expeditions said it confirmed with "profound sadness and immense heartbreak" that Purja, 43, had died in Thursday's avalanche. Purja, who was born in Nepal and later served in the British army, was known for scaling the world's 14 highest peaks in just over six months in 2019.Pakistani officials had previously announced that the bodies of three climbers from his expedition - American Mallory Geis, Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy from Oman and Pur Bahadur Gurung from Nepal - had been recovered.Purja's death was also confirmed by Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah, who said that "the tragic death of six Nepalese and four other foreign climbers, including world record holder Nirmal Purja, in the Karakoram mountain range of Pakistan, has shocked us"."The history of their courage, dedication, and contributions will always remain inspiring," the prime minister added.Naila Kiani, a spokesperson for the Pakistan" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="175240" data-entity-type="organization">Alpine Club of Pakistan which is involved in the rescue efforts, told BBC's Newshour programme that Purja had led many expeditions that she was on and. Praising his leadership skills, she described him as a "very experienced climber and fearless".