The avalanche hit on Thursday while the 10-member international expedition was attempting to summit Broad Peak, cutting off all contact with the team.
"It is with profound sadness and immense heartbreak that we confirm that Nirmal Purja tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak," his company, Elite Expeditions, said in a statement on social media.
The company added that other members of the expedition had also lost their lives.
Rescuers have so far recovered the remains of three climbers during a high-altitude search operation. According to the Gilgit-Baltistan government, the bodies include an American woman, an Omani woman and a Nepali man. They have been flown by military helicopter to a hospital for formal identification.
Purja, 43, was widely regarded as one of the world s leading mountaineers. A former member of Britain s Brigade of Gurkhas and the Royal Marines Special Boat Service, he earned international recognition after setting multiple climbing records as a professional mountaineer and expedition leader.
Nepal s Prime Minister Balendra Shah expressed grief over the tragedy, saying the deaths of Purja and the other climbers had shocked the nation.
"The physical journey of all the deceased climbers has been interrupted, but the history of their courage, dedication and contributions will always remain inspiring," he said in a statement.
Police in Gilgit-Baltistan said rescue teams, assisted by high-altitude porters and the Pakistan Army, resumed search operations on Saturday after poor weather had temporarily halted efforts the previous day.
Officials said the operation was being carried out under extremely difficult weather conditions and across challenging high-altitude terrain.
Avalanche struck during summit attempt
The avalanche occurred while the team was climbing at an altitude of about 6,600 metres on Broad Peak, which stands 8,047 metres (26,400 feet) above sea level.
Purja was leading a 10-member expedition comprising five Nepali climbers, one Pakistani, one Omani, one American, one Chinese climber and himself.
Authorities said the expedition last communicated on Thursday morning before reports of the avalanche emerged later that day.
According to Pakistan s Alpine Club, data from the team s tracking devices indicated they were swept hundreds of metres down the mountainside.
Pakistani climber Fida Ali, who had joined the expedition during its initial stages, said he narrowly escaped the disaster after descending early with an exhausted Russian climber.
"I wanted to go with him, but I came back. I was part of the team but survived," he said.
Chasing another historic achievement
Just days before the expedition, Purja had written on social media that he was close to becoming the first person to climb all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres twice without using supplemental oxygen.
"Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down," he wrote.
Purja rose to global prominence in 2019 after climbing all 14 of the world s mountains above 8,000 metres in just six months and six days, setting a world record at the time.
Broad Peak, the world s 12th-highest mountain, is located in Pakistan s Karakoram range and is considered one of the most technically demanding of the 8,000-metre peaks. It was first successfully climbed by an Austrian expedition in 1957.
