British woman dies during trip to Everest region

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/07/british-woman-dies-everest-reports

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A British woman has died while trekking in the Everest region, it has been reported.

The woman complained of breathing difficulties and it is thought that she may have fallen ill while returning from a trip to Everest base camp with her daughter. “She possibly died of altitude sickness. Her body was airlifted to Kathmandu for a postmortem,” police official Purushottam Silwal told the Daily Mirror.

The Foreign Office said: “We are aware of the death of a British national in Nepal on 6 October 2014. We are providing consular assistance to the family at this difficult time.”

The Nepalese camp, which is one of two base camps at the world’s tallest mountain, is at 5,364m (17,700 ft) above sea level. It is used as a starting point for climbers but many people also trek there and back.

The latest death in the Everest area follows those of 16 Nepalese Sherpas killed in an avalanche in April this year, the deadliest single accident to hit the mountain. It was closed for the rest of the season in their honour. One of the guides Pasang Sherpa said: “Sixteen people have died on this mountain on the first day of our climb. How can we step on it now?”

Scottish mountaineer Ed Wardle told Channel 4 News at the time: “One of the most horrific sights I ever saw on Everest was seeing the bodies being airlifted on long lines below the helicopters.”