People mourn mountaineer Kalpana Das’s death

People in Odisha have been saddened by the death of Odia mountaineer Kalpana Das near Mt Everest on May 23. Das, 49, was descending from the peak when she fell sick due to shortage of oxygen and was subsequently declared dead. Her death and those of a few others have been blamed on the ‘traffic jam’ of mountaineers near the peak owing to the fact that the Nepal government had issued too many permits to the peak.

People in her native place in Dhenkanal and all over the country grieved for the brave woman, who had the distinction of becoming the first Odia woman to scale Mt Everest. Actress Archita Sahu, who had interacted with her in a television programme, remembered her and said, “Her spirit surprised and inspired me at the same time. She will be missed by all,” the actress said.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik also expressed his condolences to the bereaved family. “Saddened to learn about the demise of Kalpana Dash while descending from Mt. Everest. Her legacy in mountaineering will inspire generations of young women in the state. My condolences to the bereaved family,” he wrote on Twitter.
Das, along with Kanchhi Maya Tamang from Nepal and Liyamu Ma from China, made it to the summit of Mt Everest on Thursday but fell it during the descent. As her death happened at an altitude above 8,660 metres, the state government has asked the foreign affairs ministry to help bring her body from the mountain top to her native place. Even central minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressing his condolences and said he has been in touch with the Indian Embassy in Nepal to expedite the recovery and return of her body.
Industrialist and politician Baijayant Jay Panda also expressed his sadness on hearing the news. Acclaimed sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik also mourned her death through his sand art at Puri beach. Thousands of people also took to social media to express their condolences.
Das had already climbed different peaks in India, Nepal, Europe, South America and Australia. She had earlier scaled Mt Everest from the Nepal side in 2008.