Prince William (44) expressed his shock following the death of British-Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja (1983-2026). The 43-year-old died in an avalanche accident on Broad Peak in Pakistan. "I was deeply saddened to hear of the tragic death of Nirmal Purja and those who lost their lives in the avalanche on Broad Peak", the Prince of Wales wrote on X.

In his post, the British heir to the throne honored the mountaineer's military career, who served 16 years in the British Armed Forces. "Nims served with distinction in the British Armed Forces before becoming one of the world's greatest mountaineers and putting Nepalese mountaineers on the map." His relentless pursuit of the seemingly impossible, combined with his humility and selflessness, made him a "truly unique individual". William's thoughts are with the family and loved ones of all victims.

British Defense Minister Wes Streeting (43) expressed similar sentiments on X. He was very sad about the death of Purja and his companions, Streeting wrote. The mountaineer had been an inspiring man whose expeditions became known worldwide.

Ten deaths on the world's twelfth-highest mountain

The avalanche struck Broad Peak on Thursday, at 8,047 meters the twelfth-highest summit on Earth and part of the Karakoram. Purja was leading a group of ten mountaineers in total. His death was confirmed on Saturday by his company Elite Exped.

Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah spoke of ten fatalities, including six Nepalese and four foreign mountaineers. The Alpine Club of Pakistan announced on Sunday that Purja's body had been found at an altitude of around 5,700 meters.

Record holder and Netflix star

Purja became known in 2019 with his project on the 14 eight-thousanders, which he initially completed in a record time of 189 days. However, after a later reassessment, two of his ascents were not recognized as reaching the respective main summit. After Purja completed these peaks, Guinness listed his achievement at two years and 168 days. The Netflix documentary "14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible" introduced him to a wider audience in 2021.

Before his mountaineering career, Purja joined the British Army in 2003 and transferred to the Special Boat Service, the Royal Navy's special forces unit, in 2009. He was the first Gurkha to make it into the elite unit. He spent ten years of his service according to the BBC with special forces, and was awarded the MBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 2018. Most recently, he lived with his wife and their daughter in Hampshire County.