Among them was Nirmal Purja, also known as Nims, a British-Nepali climber most known for climbing the world's 14 tallest peaks in just over six months. In a moving tribute on Facebook, Purja's brother Kamal wrote: "I feel as though I have lost my whole world. Shailendra Baral, his school hostel supervisor, told AFP that as a young boy Purja had been "fearless and committed to achieving something". Bahadur Panta, Purja's school friend, said he had prayed for the mountaineer through "sleepless nights" after news broke of his disappearance. Social media was also awash with tributes to Purja, with many saying that Nepal was in mourning and that the country had lost a "legend" and "many great climbers".