Renowned Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja and nine other expedition members died after an avalanche struck them on Pakistan's Broad Peak, according to Elite Exped.
The avalanche occurred Thursday along the West Ridge route of the 8,051-meter peak in the Karakoram range, near the border of Gilgit-Baltistan and Xinjiang.
>>> Taylor Farms Faces $32M Fraud Suit and Cyclospora Outbreak Claims
Rescue and Recovery
Search and rescue efforts involved experienced Pakistani climbers and military helicopters, continuing through Saturday, said local police official Tahir Khan and the Alpine Club of Pakistan.
Authorities initially recovered the bodies of three climbers on Friday: Omani mountaineer Nadhira Al Harthy, American climber Sarah Mallory Geis, and Nepalese guide Pur Bahadur Gurung.
Harthy's remains were flown to Islamabad, while Geis and Gurung's bodies were transferred to a hospital in Skardu, according to Pakistani officials.
Elite Exped later confirmed that no members of the 10-person team survived the avalanche.
"Today, it is with profound sadness and immense heartbreak that we confirm that Nirmal 'Nimsdai' Purja, tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak," Elite Exped said in an Instagram statement.
>>> ICE and TSA Expand Airport Arrests Under Data-Sharing Deal
"We have also received confirmation that other members of the expedition sadly did not survive," the company added.
Elite Exped mourned the loss of high-altitude support team members and fellow climbers, including Pur Bahadur Gurung (Yukta) and Nima Sherpa.
"The world has lost one of mountaineering's greatest climbers; a leader who inspired millions through his courage, humility and unwavering belief that human potential is far greater than we often imagine," the company stated.
Before the expedition, Geis had shared her career transition publicly, mentioning "a giant leap of faith into the unknown" and anticipating "lots of helmets, harnesses, and crampons."
>>> Veltman Keeps Options Open After Leaving Brighton
The 10-member team also included Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi, Nepalese climber Nima Sherpa, a Chinese national identified as Wang, and another foreign climber, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan.
