KATHMANDU — An Indian tourist has died after two helicopters collided while attempting to land near the base camp of Mount Everest, officials said.
Verified footage of the crash showed the helicopter blades of the two aircraft clipping each other as they came into land at around 08:15 local time (02:30 GMT) in Pheriche, approximately 12km (7 miles) south of Mount Everest Base Camp.
Helicopter company Fishtail Air named the man killed in the crash as Vasanth Kumar Balaramudu.
The helicopter company said one of its vehicles was involved in the collision and that another passenger and the helicopter’s captain had been injured.
The injured passengers and crew members on board were rescued and taken to Kathmandu, Fishtail Air added in a statement.
The injured passenger was a tourist from New Zealand, an official of Solukhumbu district, Bhupendra Thapa, told BBC Nepal.
The other helicopter involved was operated by Air Dynasty and had been carrying cargo, the company said.
It was operated by one crew member who sustained no injuries, it added.
A spokesman for Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority, Gyanendra Bhul, said: “It appears the accident happened when two helicopters… attempted to land at the same spot.”
In the video footage of the incident, the weather conditions look clear and no strong wind effects are visible. One helicopter appears to be making a more rapid descent than the other.
Helicopters are widely used for transport in the Himalayan nation due to its challenging terrain. But its rapidly changing weather conditions and high altitude often make aviation operations hazardous.
The village of Pheriche, located on the trekking route to the summit of the world’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest, is just over 4,000m (13,120ft) above sea level.
Climbing expeditions to Everest and Ama Dablam mountain are currently under way in the region, as autumn is a popular climbing season.
Source: Saudi Gazette