Junko Tabei, first woman to scale Mount Everest, has died at the age of 77.

Tabei was suffering from cancer for the past four years and died in the course of treatment at a cancer centre in a Japanese town of Saita, according to the Japanese Mountaineering Association.

Born in Japan on September 22, 1939, Tabei reached atop the Everest in 1975, becoming the first woman to ascent the highest peak in the world.

Breaking the sad news about Tabei's death, President of the Nepal Mountaineering Association Ang Tshering Sherpa said the Japanese Mountaineering Association and Alpine Club confirmed the death of Tabei, saying she died three days ago.

He compared the death of Tabei as a huge loss to the mountaineering tourism sector of Nepal for Sherpa argued that Tabei adored the land housing Mount Everest.

"Tabei has done many good works in the sector of mountaineering tourism. She has also contributed to advancing the cause of environmental conservation and played important role in the promotion of mountaineering tourism sector," admitted President Sherpa. "With her demise, Nepal lost a good friend', he added.

Tabei's last visit to Nepal marked on April 30 this year when she led a Japanese mountaineering team to observe the golden jubilee of the first ascend of Mount Manaslu and Mount Lhotse. RSS