NEW ZEALAND: Everest conqueror Hillary dies aged 88
Updated
The people of New Zealand and Nepal are today mourning the death of the first man to climb Mount Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary, who's died at the age of 88. Sir Edmund died of a heart attack in an Auckland hospital this morning. Tributes have flooded in for the unassuming explorer who, together with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, conquered the peak of Mount Everest in 1953. New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark called him the "best known New Zealander ever to have lived", while deputy prime minister Michael Cullen said he'd helped define the national identity. The Nepalese government has also called Sir Edmund a great friend of Nepal
Presenter: Corinne Podger
Speakers: Bhoomi Lama, of the Nepal Mountaineering Association
LAMA: Yes, yes it's very, very sad day for us, yeah.
PODGER: He was also I understand made a citizen of Nepal in 2003. Can you tell me a little bit about the contributions that he made to the people of Nepal?
LAMA: After the first ascent on Mount Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing, he felt very much grateful to the Nepalese climbers, especially Sherpa people, who was in his team. Then he felt to help this part of world, because we were not very much, no education or health in that region, because it lies in a remote area. In those days, now it is not very remote, but in those days it was a very remote area. So he started establishing his school for the Sherpa children in Khumjung, and he started establishing some hospitals in that region. This contribution has helped a lot. Now children from that school have attained a very good position in the social life and something of them a good leader in mountaineering field. So in this context, people from Kumbar region they feel very much of life and grateful to Edmund Hillary what he has done in that region to uplift the social and economic status of the people.
PODGER: I understand he even helps to build a small airport in the Everest foothills?
LAMA: Right, he helped to construct an airfield there which in emergency cases can still be used. Considering all these things, the government of Nepal during the Golden Jubilee celebration in the year 2003 conferred on him an honorary Nepalese citizenship.
PODGER: This was the Golden Jubilee of the ascent of Mount Everest. He had also made I understand a great effort in recent years to raise awareness about pollution on Mount Everest. Has that made much of a difference?
LAMA: Yeah, regarding the pollutional control or garbage clearing from Mount Everest, he suggested that Mount Everest should be closed to climbers. We could not afford that kind of expensive measure, so we let the expedition go on, but we started cleaning the mountain by ourselves. So he was not in favour of letting many, many people climb on Everest, because environmentally it was not a positive thing, yeah. He thought that way and so he was of that opinion.
PODGER: And finally, Bhoomi Lama, how will he be remembered in Nepal?
LAMA: He will be remembered as Nepal's great friend and for many of the Sherpa community for many of the Kumba people, he is revered as a godfather. So he will be remembered forever.
