Statement on social media
Prince William has issued a statement following the death of Nirmal Purja, a former British Army soldier and renowned mountaineer. The future king shared a message on X, formerly Twitter, saying he was "truly saddened" to hear the news.
In the post, he said: "I was truly saddened to hear of the tragic death of Nirmal Purja and those who lost their lives in the avalanche on Broad Peak. Nims served with distinction in the British Armed Forces before becoming one of the world's greatest mountaineers, putting Nepalese climbers on the map."
"His relentless pursuit of what seemed impossible, combined with his humility and selflessness, made him truly unique. My thoughts are with his family and the families of all those who died."
Mountaineering career
Mr Purja, known for climbing the world's 14 highest peaks in just over six months in 2019, was confirmed to have died in Thursday's avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan. The 43-year-old served in the British military for 16 years, 10 of which were spent in the special forces.
He was awarded an MBE by the late Queen Elizabeth in 2018 for his achievements in extreme high-altitude mountaineering.
Condolences from Defence Secretary
UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting also paid his condolences to the British-Nepali mountaineer on social media. He said on X: "Incredibly sad to learn of the passing of Nirmal (Nims) Purja and those he was climbing with."
"He was an inspirational man who served in our Armed Forces for many years - and whose incredible mountaineering adventures are known the world over."
Avalanche victims
Purja's death was confirmed by Pakistani officials who said the bodies of three climbers from his expedition - American Mallory Geis, Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy from Oman and Pur Bahadur Gurung from Nepal - had been recovered.
The deaths of "six Nepalese and four other foreign climbers", including the former soldier, were also confirmed by Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah, who honoured the victims for their "courage, dedication, and contributions [that] will always remain inspiring".
