Ex-Royal Marine is feared missing after an avalanche on one of the highest mountains in the world

By PERKIN AMALARAJ, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 01:51, 31 July 2026 | Updated: 01:51, 31 July 2026 A former Royal Marine is among ten people feared missing after an avalanche on one of the world's tallest mountains.  Nirmal Purja, a mountaineer who served in the British military for 15 years, went missing after leading an expedition up Pakistan's Broad Peak.  The snowslide hit the 8,047-metre (26,400 ft) peak in the Karakoram range at around midday on Thursday. Since then, there has been no communication with Purja's team.  The Alpine Club of Pakistan said that he was leading a Pakistani climber, one from China, an American, an Omani and five climbers from Nepal.  It added that it is 'in constant contact with the highest government authorities and all relevant agencies to facilitate an immediate search and rescue operation.' The group said: 'Every possible effort is being made to ensure that helicopter support and all available rescue resources are mobilised at the earliest opportunity, subject to weather and operational conditions.' Rescuers are looking to deploy a helicopter as soon as the weather allows it.  Purja joined the British Army as a Gurkha in 2003, before transferring to the Royal Navy's Special Boat Service in 2009.  Nirmal Purja, a mountaineer who served in the British military for 15 years, is among those missing The group were on an expedition up Pakistan's Broad Peak He became the first Gurkha to join the elite unit, and worked as a cold-weather warfare specialist.  Though he has been banned from discussing his work, he claimed to have been involved in all theatres of war Britain was involved in during his time in the military.  Purja said he was once wounded by a sniper who narrowly missed his neck, instead striking the stock of his rifle.  He said he passed on an invitation to join the SAS, instead resigning from the SBS as a Lance Corporal in 2018 to focus on his mountaineering work.  Purja has climbed Mount Everest six times in his career, the latest climb taking place in 2022.  In 2019, he climbed all 14 of the world's 8,000m plus mountains in just over six months.  He was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth in 2018 for his high altitude mountaineering work.