KATHMANDU, JULY 31

At least 10 climbers, including renowned Nepali British mountaineer Nirmal Purja "Nimsdai", have gone missing after a massive avalanche struck the climbing route on Pakistan's 8,047-metre Broad Peak since Thursday, expedition officials said.

According to the Alpine Club of Pakistan, the missing include three climbers from Seven Summit Treks, three from Elite Exped, two from Imagine Nepal Treks, and two Pakistani high-altitude guides.

Search-and-rescue efforts are under way, with helicopters being mobilised to locate the missing climbers. Those still out of contact include Purja; a Russian-American climber and a Sherpa from Elite Exped; an Omani climber accompanied by two Sherpas from SST; a Chinese climber with a Sherpa from Imagine Nepal Treks; and two Pakistani guides.

The Alpine Club of Pakistan confirmed that no contact has been established with the climbers since the avalanche struck on Thursday.

According to thhe BBC, the avalanche hit the expedition team as they were climbing from Camp 2 to Camp 3 for a summit push. Karrar Haidri, Senior Vice-President of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, told the broadcaster that authorities were coordinating rescue efforts and attempting to deploy helicopters on Friday morning, subject to favourable weather conditions.

The BBC reported that the international expedition comprised an American, a Chinese national, an Omani climber and five Nepalis led by Purja, while one member's nationality has been identified as Russian-American by expedition officials.

Purja, the expedition leader, is widely regarded as one of the world's leading high-altitude climbers. He rose to international prominence in 2019 after climbing all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre peaks in just over six months, setting a then world record. His mountaineering career began in 2012 when he trekked to Everest Base Camp and decided to climb the mountain instead of returning as originally planned.

Search operations were continuing at the time of reporting.