Key facts
- A 10-member international mountaineering team is feared missing after an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan.
- The avalanche occurred around midday on Thursday.
- Contact with the expedition, led by Nirmal Purja, has been lost.
- The team includes climbers from Nepal, the US, China, Oman, and Pakistan.
- Search and rescue operations are being coordinated, pending weather conditions.
A 10-member international mountaineering team, led by Nepal-born former Royal Marine Nirmal Purja, is feared missing after an avalanche struck Pakistan's Broad Peak on Thursday. The 8,047-metre peak is located in the Karakoram range.
Pakistani mountaineering officials reported that the avalanche hit around midday, severing all communication with the expedition. The team includes five Nepali climbers, an American, a Chinese national, an Omani, and a Pakistani climber, Sohail Sakhi.
Nirmal Purja, also known as Nimsdai, is globally recognized for climbing all 14 of the world's mountains over 8,000 meters in just over six months in 2019. He also recently completed the ascent of Gasherbrum II without supplemental oxygen.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan is coordinating with government authorities and rescue agencies to mobilize helicopters and other resources for a search operation, subject to weather conditions. There has been no immediate confirmation of casualties or survivors.