Nirmal Purja, the celebrated Nepalese-born mountaineer and former British special forces officer, died in an avalanche on a peak in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, according to reports. Nine other climbers were also killed: six from Nepal, and one each from the United States, China, Pakistan and Oman.
Purja, also known as Nimsdai, was born in Nepal's Dhaulagiri region. He had a 16-year military career, serving six years in the Gurkha regiment and ten years in the UK's elite Special Boat Service (SBS). He later became a star high-altitude climber.
The avalanche struck in the Karakoram range. No further details about the incident were provided.