Ranaghat, May 16: Just a day after Ranaghat erupted in joyous celebration over local mountaineer Subrata Ghosh’s triumphant conquest of Mount Everest, the town was plunged into profound grief on Friday morning. The news, a devastating blow, confirmed that Subrata, 42, had tragically passed away during his descent from the world’s highest peak late Thursday night. What began as a moment of immense pride for this small town in Nadia district quickly transformed into a heart-wrenching tragedy.
Subrata, an assistant teacher at Kapashati Milanbithin High School in Bagdah, North 24 Parganas, and a dedicated amateur climber, had fulfilled a lifelong dream by reaching the Everest summit. Yet, the pinnacle of his achievement was tragically fleeting. His family received the devastating news early Friday from a representative of Snowy Horizon Treks and Expeditions, the Kathmandu-based agency that organized his expedition. “A person from the Snowy Horizon Treks and Expeditions from Kathmandu shared the bad news at about 7 am on Friday,” said his younger brother, Surajit Ghosh, his voice heavy with sorrow.
The shockwaves reverberated through the entire Khirki Bagan Lane area of Ranaghat, where Subrata resided. Neighbors and friends converged on the Ghosh residence in large numbers, united in disbelief and an overwhelming sense of loss. Despite the grim confirmation, a flicker of hope persists within the Ghosh family.
While his elderly parents were too distraught to speak, a relative clung to the possibility, saying, “In many earlier occasions also, we heard that climbers who became immobile and sick due to high altitude were revived back.” Chandranil Chatterjee, treasurer of the Ranaghat Chapter of the Lions Club, which had partially funded Subrata’s Everest expedition, echoed the community’s anguish. “I don’t believe in miracles, but for this time at least I wish it to happen,” he confessed, reflecting the collective yearning for a different outcome.
In an immediate response, the Lions Club dispatched a four-member team to Kathmandu on Friday. Their urgent mission is to coordinate the challenging process of bringing Subrata’s body back home and to escort his elder sister, Sumitra Ghosh—also a mountaineer and part of the expedition team—back to Ranaghat. Sumitra had remained at the base camp and did not attempt the summit climb. However, retrieving the body has proved to be fraught with difficulties.
According to family sources and Lions Club members, the organizing agency has allegedly demanded a hefty sum to facilitate the process. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the Bengal
government has stepped in, promising to provide necessary assistance. “We are trying our best to bring back the body. However, there is no official confirmation from the top level. But efforts are on,” stated Ranaghat SDO Bharat Singh. Sources also indicated that the BJP leadership has been making efforts to assist in bringing the body home.
Subrata, a respected member of the Mountaineers’ Association of Krishnanagar (MAK) and a dedicated disciple of the renowned mountaineer Basanta Singha Roy, who famously scaled Everest in May 2010, embarked on his climbing journey in 2017. He had a brush with death just last year during an expedition in Arunachal Pradesh, a testament to the inherent risks of his passion. Sources revealed that Subrata began his Everest bid on May 31, accompanied by his sister Sumitra. They later joined fellow climbers Rumpa Ghosh of Ranaghat and Ashim Kumar Mondal in Kathmandu. While Rumpa and Ashim’s expedition was officially organized by MAK, Subrata had independently arranged his summit attempt with the support of Snowy Horizon. Their final push for the summit commenced on May 10.
Speaking to The NfN, Basanta Singha Roy offered his expert insights into what might have gone wrong. “In adventure sports, one has to be calculative considering his physical condition. To achieve a dream, one might have to wait long—even turn back from near the summit. Though it cannot be said conclusively what led to the accident. But as far as I’ve heard, Subrata’s movement became slow. This indicates his physical condition was not fit enough to proceed from the last camp, and eventually, he became immobile when he refused to go further,” he explained.
He further added a critical detail: “Another issue was that Subrata started late from the last camp. Climbers usually begin by 8 PM the previous night, allowing around 12 hours to summit. But due to bad weather, they started late and summited at 2 PM—too late to safely return.” Singha Roy went on to elaborate, “This likely caused a deficit in oxygen supply. Climbers typically carry five cylinders—four with the Sherpa, one with the climber. Three are deposited along the route for use during descent. I believe they failed to reach the deposit points. Once the oxygen ran out, the Sherpa tried his best to revive him but failed. So he left Subrata behind… there was no one else to help.” He concluded with a poignant reflection,
“It is quite painful for me to digest the news of the demise of my student… whom I taught the intricacies of climbing. He had, however, distanced himself from me in recent years and wasn’t in touch, though he remained a member of my organization.” The dream of Everest, so gloriously achieved, ultimately demanded the ultimate price, leaving Ranaghat to grapple with a loss as monumental as the peak Subrata conquered.