World bids farewell to Sir Hillary

Dublin- Mount Everest conqueror Sir Edmund Hillary Tuesday was laid to rest amidst thousand of mourners at Auckland, New Zealand. About 500 national and international dignitaries and diplomats from the U.K., U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, Nepal, Russia, Tonga among others joined the Hillary family at a state funeral in St. Mary’s Anglican Church.

Five Sherpas placed traditional prayer scarves on Hillary’s flag-draped coffin. After scaling Everest with mountain guide Tenzing Norgay in May 1953, Hillary had spent more than 40 years working to aid Nepal’s development. Sir Edmund Hillary died of a heart stroke on January 11 at the age of 88.