Mountaineering community mourns as Nirmal Purja confirmed dead in Pakistan avalanche

Tributes have poured in from across the global mountaineering community following the death of renowned climber Nirmal Purja and nine expedition members in an avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak. Norwegian record-breaking climber Kristin Harila described the disaster as "one of the worst days in climbing history," noting the widespread sense of disbelief surrounding the loss of the 43-year-old former British soldier.

The avalanche struck the 8,047-metre summit route on Thursday. Pakistani rescue teams recovered the bodies of three climbers from Oman, Nepal, and the United States before Purja's firm, Elite Expeditions, officially confirmed on Saturday that all ten members of the international group had died. Purja gained global acclaim in 2019 after scaling all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre peaks in under seven months.

Sources: Aftenposten, BBC News, FAZ, Sweden Herald