A devastating avalanche on Broad Peak has claimed the life of celebrated mountaineer Nirmal Purja, along with several members of his international expedition, his climbing company confirmed Saturday. The disaster unfolded Thursday as the team pushed toward the summit of the 8,047-metre peak, with contact lost that morning and the avalanche reported later in the day. Elite Expeditions, Purja's firm, announced the news in a social media post, expressing profound sadness while confirming that other climbers also perished. Main Developments Rescue teams recovered several bodies from the mountain, with a helicopter airlifting the remains to a hospital for formal identification. According to the Gilgit-Baltistan government, those recovered so far include an American woman, an Omani woman, and a Nepali man. The expedition itself comprised ten climbers: Purja, five Nepalis, a Pakistani, an Omani, an American, and a climber from China. Tracking data from the climbers' devices revealed the avalanche's violent force, indicating they were thrown hundreds of metres down the mountainside, as reported by Naila Kiani of Pakistan's Alpine Club. The search operation, which was paused Friday due to difficult weather, resumed Saturday with high-altitude porters and rescue teams combing the area. Pakistani army helicopters and personnel, coordinating with local climbers, continued the search under extremely challenging terrain and high-altitude conditions, with teams staying at base camp overnight. Read also: 34 miners dead: Quetta coal mine explosion recovery complete Background Purja, a 43-year-old British-Nepali climber, rose to global fame in 2019 when he climbed all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre peaks, known as "eight-thousanders," in a record six months and six days. He had served in Britain's Brigade of Gurkhas and later the Special Boat Squadron of the Royal Marines before pursuing mountaineering full-time. Just days before the avalanche, Purja had posted on X that he was close to becoming the first person to summit all 14 "super peaks" twice without supplemental oxygen, writing, "Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down." Broad Peak, the world's 12th highest mountain, sits in the Karakoram range of northern Pakistan and is known as one of the most technical and demanding climbs among the 8,000-metre peaks. First summited in 1957 by an Austrian team, it has a history of tragic accidents. Fida Ali, a climber who had worked with Purja since 2023, told AFP that the team had first tackled another mountain, G2, in harsh weather before focusing on Broad Peak. Ali had joined the expedition's early stages but returned with a Russian climber suffering exhaustion, narrowly avoiding the fatal avalanche. "I wanted to go with him (Purja) but couldn't and came back with her. I was part of the team but survived," he said. Why It Matters The loss of Purja, a record-breaking climber, sends shockwaves through the mountaineering community and beyond. Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah offered condolences, calling the deaths "tragic" and noting that the climbers' courage and dedication would remain inspiring despite their physical journey being interrupted. The incident underscores the extreme risks inherent in high-altitude climbing, even for the most experienced mountaineers, and highlights the dangers of Broad Peak's unpredictable weather and terrain. For Pakistan, the tragedy also casts a spotlight on the country's role as a destination for elite climbers, with the Gilgit-Baltistan region hosting some of the world's highest peaks. The ongoing rescue operation, involving the Pakistani army and local climbers, reflects the challenges of conducting search efforts in such remote and hazardous environments. The deaths may prompt renewed scrutiny of safety protocols for expeditions in the region. What's Next Rescue teams are continuing the search for any remaining climbers, though the operation faces severe weather and difficult conditions. Formal identification of the recovered remains is expected to proceed at the hospital, and further details on the other expedition members are likely to emerge as the operation unfolds. The climbing community will also await any official investigation into the avalanche, which struck at around 6,600 metres as the team ascended, raising questions about forecasting and risk management in the region.