Ten climbers, including Nirmal Purja, die in Broad Peak avalanche

An avalanche struck a group of ten climbers on Broad Peak, the world’s 12th-tallest mountain, on Thursday, killing all of them, including British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja. The disaster occurred at an elevation of 26,414 feet in the Karakoram range of Pakistan.

Rescue teams from Pakistan recovered three bodies on Friday, among them American climber Sarah Mallory Geis, before suspending operations due to adverse weather. The search resumed on Saturday, with authorities working to locate the remaining seven victims.

"The world has lost one of mountaineering's greatest climbers," Elite Exped, the expedition operator, said in a statement, adding that it mourns "every life lost in this tragedy."

"The loss of these climbers, who came from different nations united by their passion for the mountains, is a loss to the global mountaineering fraternity," said Irfan Arshad Khan, president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, who also thanked the military, Sherpas and civilians involved in the rescue.

Purja, who was featured in the 2021 Netflix documentary "14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible," had previously served in the British army’s Gurkha regiment and special forces. British Defence Minister Wes Streeting described him as an inspirational figure.

The multinational group also included climbers from Pakistan, Nepal and China. Recovery efforts continue as authorities work in the remote and difficult terrain.