Celebrated Nepali climber Nirmal Purja, who held the record for the fastest ascent of the world's 14 highest mountains, died in an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan, his expedition company confirmed on Saturday. Elite Exped said it was with profound sadness and heartbreak that Purja, known as 'Nimsdai', lost his life, and that other members of the expedition also died. According to SCMP, nine other people died in the avalanche. CBS, however, reported that the search for other expedition members was still ongoing. The expedition lost contact with its base camp after the avalanche struck while the team was attempting to scale the mountain, CBS said. Purja set the record for the fastest ascent of the world's 14 highest mountains, all of which rise above 8,000 meters.