A ten-member international climbing team, led by renowned mountaineer Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja, is feared missing following a massive avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan. According to the Alpine Club of Pakistan, the avalanche struck around midday on the 8,047-meter (26,414-foot) mountain—the world’s 12th-highest peak located in the Karakoram range—severing all communication with the expedition.

The missing group comprises climbers from several nations, including five Nepali nationals led by Purja, an American climber, a Chinese national, an Omani mountaineer, and a Pakistani climber. Purja, a Nepal-born former British special forces soldier and elite mountaineer, gained global fame for setting numerous records, including climbing all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks.

Local authorities, government agencies, and the Alpine Club of Pakistan are closely monitoring the situation and organizing emergency search and rescue operations. Officials stated that helicopter support and ground resources are being mobilized to reach the remote area, though efforts remain heavily dependent on safe weather and operational conditions.