MP woman braves oxygen cylinder snag, scales Mt Everest

Bhawna Dehariya from Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh became the first woman from the state to scale Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain, but not before a leaking oxygen cylinder regulator gave her a mighty scare.

The 27-year-old, hailing from Tamia in Chhindwara and pursuing her Masters in Physical Education from Bhopal, completed the feat on May 22.

Speaking about the life-threatening hiccup that took place as she approached the summit, Dehariya said, "The oxygen cylinder's regulator started leaking. I had to keep a thumb on the leak for about 90 minutes to survive. After the leak was plugged by my help accompanying me, I resumed the trek, scaled the peak and unfurled the Tricolour."

She was speaking over the phone from Kathmandu in Nepal, from where she will fly to Delhi and then on to MP.

She expressed gratitude for the Rs 27 lakh support she received from MP Chief Minister Kamal Nath.

"If Nath ji had not helped me, I could not have conquered Mt Everest. I am also grateful to my family for their untiring support," she said.

Her expedition leader, Dawa Steven Sherpa, confirmed that Dehariya had scaled the world's highest mountain peak.