Kathmandu: Veteran Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja has died in an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's (PoK) Gilgit-Baltistan region, according to local media reports.

Purja, 43, was among a 10-member climbing team attempting to summit the 8,051-metre peak when an avalanche struck at an altitude of around 7,000 metres on Thursday.

His death was confirmed by expedition operator Elite Expedition in a statement posted on social media on Saturday, the Kathmandu Post reported.

According to the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), three bodies, including that of a Nepalese climber, have been identified so far, while the bodies of six other climbers have also been located on the mountain.

The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) said the avalanche swept away the climbers as they began their summit push early Thursday morning.

The team comprised six climbers from Nepal, one from Pakistan, one from Oman, one from the United States and one from China. They were reported missing at around 9 a.m. after the avalanche struck.

Broad Peak, standing at 8,051 metres in the Karakoram Range near K2, is the world's 12th-highest mountain and is regarded as one of the most technically demanding peaks for mountaineers.