A renowned former British special forces soldier is among 10 mountaineers missing in Pakistan after a horror avalanche struck Broad Peak in the north of the country. Nirmal Purja, who was born in Nepal and served in the British Army and Royal Marines, was leading an expedition on the world’s 12th-highest peak when the avalanche struck at around midday on Thursday.

The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) said there had been no contact with any of the climbers since the avalanche. Mr Purja rose to worldwide prominence in 2019 when he climbed all 14 of the world’s mountains with peaks above 8,000 metres in 189 days – smashing the previous record for accomplishing the feat by more than seven years. Mr Purja is one of five Nepalese climbers in the group, alongside mountaineers from Pakistan, Oman, the US and China, as well as one foreign national from an unspecified country.

ACP president Major General Irfan Arshad is in contact with government officials to “facilitate an immediate search and rescue operation”, a statement from the organisation said.

The statement said: “The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) has received deeply concerning reports of an avalanche that struck a team of climbers on Broad Peak (8,047m) in the Karakoram mountain range around midday today.

“President of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, Major General Irfan Arshad, HI(M), along with the senior leadership of the Club, is in constant contact with the highest government authorities and all relevant agencies to facilitate an immediate search and rescue operation.

“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.

“The Alpine Club of Pakistan is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with all concerned stakeholders.

“The Club prays for the safety and successful rescue of all the climbers and stands in solidarity with their families and the international mountaineering community during this difficult time.”