The Nepali-born climber was known for scaling the world's 14 highest peaks in just over six months in 2019.

Renowned mountaineer and former British Army soldier Nirmal Purja is among those 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 had died in Thursday's avalanche. Purja, a Nepali-born climber, 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 the 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 on social media 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. Rescue teams in Pakistan had been searching for the climbers on the world's 12th-highest summit after an avalanche on the 8,047m (26,400ft) peak in the Karakoram range. The multinational climbing group was being led by Purja. Also known as Nims, he rose to prominence in 2019 when he climbed all 14 of the world's mountains with peaks above 8,000m in 189 days - smashing the previous record by more than seven years.