Kin clutch to hope as efforts on to retrieve body of summiteer

GURUGRAM:It has been a tragic end for 27-year-old Ravi Thakur, a mountaineering enthusiast, who, on May 17, successfully scaled the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, but died on his way back. A resident of Sonipat in Haryana, located 40 kilometres from the national Capital, the young man wanted to make his country proud with his achievement, his friends said.

Dr Shaleen Rohilla, the deputy commissioner of Sonipat, said confirmation of Thakur’s death has been received from the Indian embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal.

“We received information that a Tara Nagar resident, of Sonipat, has been declared dead and along with it, we received an invoice of US$44,000 for his evacuation. We have sent the recommendation to the state government to take an appropriate decision regarding the same. Once we receive the reply from the state government, the same will be conveyed to the family members,” he said.

Mingma Sherpa, chairman of the Seven Summit Treks, which organised the Everest and Makalu expeditions, had told HT that Thakur died at Camp IV, around 10pm, after returning from the Everest summit. Thakur’s family received an invoice on May 18, from Seven Summit Treks Pvt Ltd, asking for a transfer of $44,000 for helicopter evacuation, search and rescue of Thakur. They sent a break up of the cost involved at each camp for the rescue operation. Sorrowed but still not believing him dead, his family and relatives are hoping that he can be evacuated and revived with medical aid. The house was full of friends and relatives, who have been visiting since they heard the news.

Six childhood friends of Thakur are camping at his residence to ensure his parents do not get to know about his death. Meanwhile, they have disconnected the television cable to ensure that his parents, who are heart patients, do not access the news. They have also asked the newspaper delivery boy to suspend deliveries until informed otherwise. Those present at the house said they remember Thakur as a compassionate person, who dedicated his life to his friends and family.

“He wanted to make the country proud and after failing repeated attempts to join the army, he thought of scaling the Everest to earn that glory. He wanted to reach the summit and unfurl the Indian flag at the top,” said Mamta Rani, Thakur’s mother.