Renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja has been confirmed dead in an avalanche accident in Pakistan, his climbing company Elite Expeditions said in a social media post on Saturday.
The avalanche struck on Thursday, cutting off contact with the international expedition led by 43-year-old British-Nepali climber Purja on Broad Peak in northern Pakistan.
"It is with profound sadness and immense heartbreak that we confirm that Nirmal Purja tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak," Purja's company Elite Expeditions said on social media.
"We have also received confirmation that other members of the expedition sadly did not survive," it added.
The remains recovered so far, flown by helicopter to a hospital for formal identification, included an American woman, an Omani woman and a Nepali man, the regional government said in a statement released on Friday night.
