West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today remembered mountaineer Chhanda Gayen, the first civilian woman from the state to summit Mt Everest, on her birth anniversary. Describing the mountaineer as "brave", the chief minister said that her courage may become an inspiration for everybody.

"Fondly remembering the brave mountaineer Chhanda Gayen on her birth anniversary. In her memory, the Bengal Government has instituted the Chhanda Gayen Bravery Award for successful mountaineers. May her courage inspire us all," Banerjee wrote on her Twitter handle this morning. Chhanda Gayen, who had scaled Mt Everest in 2013, went missing along with two sherpas in an avalanche while descending the western side of Mt Kanchenjunga, also known as Mt Yulan Kang, in Nepal in 2014.