Tragedy struck at the base camp of Mount Everest after a 59-year-old Indian climber, who had set out to make a new record by becoming the first woman in Asia to climb to the peak with a pacemaker, fell sick and died while attempting to make her mark in history, officials informed media on Friday.
Suzanne Leopoldina Jesus, who has a pacemaker fitted, was forcibly airlifted on Wednesday evening to Lukla town and was undergoing treatment at a hospital.
The expedition leader, Dendi Sherpa, who is the Chairman of Glacier Himalayan Trek, reported that Suzanne had already climbed up to an altitude of 5,800 meters, just above the base camp of Mt. Everest when she fell ill.
She was taking hours to cross a distance which usually can be covered in 15 to 20 minutes, Sherpa informed.
"We had told her to abandon the climb five days ago, but she was committed to ascending Everest," Sherpa said, adding that it was found during the acclimatization that Suzanne was not qualified for further ascending the mountain.
Officials told Indian media that Suzanne could not pass up the chance to climb the mountain, given that she had already paid the fee to obtain permission.
On Thursday morning, a Chinese climber also died while ascending Mt Everest.
The total death count at the Mt Everest this season has reached eight.