Fears for ex-British special forces soldier and Netflix star missing in horror avalanche

Mr Purja is one of five Nepalese climbers in the group, alongside mountaineers from Pakistan, Oman, the US and China. 06:14, Fri, Jul 31, 2026 Updated: 07:32, Fri, Jul 31, 2026 Nirmal Purja, pictured earlier this month (Image: NC)A renowned former British special forces soldier is among 10 mountaineers missing in Pakistan after a horror avalanche struck Broad Peak in the north of the country. Nirmal Purja, who was born in Nepal and served in the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Special Boat Service, was leading an expedition on the world’s 12th-highest peak when the avalanche struck at around midday on Thursday.The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) said there had been no contact with any of the climbers since the avalanche. Mr Purja rose to worldwide prominence in 2019 when he climbed all 14 of the world’s mountains with peaks above 8,000 metres in 189 days – smashing the previous record for accomplishing the feat by more than seven years. Mr Purja is one of five Nepalese climbers in the group, alongside mountaineers from Pakistan, Oman, the US and China, as well as one foreign national from an unspecified country. Get the latest news from around the world and more Invalid ema...