Indian tourist killed as two helicopters collide near Everest

An Indian tourist was killed and three others, including a New Zealand national and two pilots, were injured when two helicopters collided while landing in Nepal’s Mount Everest region on Tuesday morning.

The injured were rescued and airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment. Police have yet to confirm the total number of passengers aboard the two helicopters at the time of the accident.

According to Reuters and the Kathmandu Post, the collision occurred around 8:11 am local time in the Pheriche area of Solukhumbu district.

The helicopters were operated by private companies Fishtail Air and Air Dynasty.

Solukhumbu Chief District Officer Kaman Singh Thapa told Reuters that the injured New Zealand national had been rescued. He said the accident took place in the Mount Everest Base Camp region.

In a statement, Fishtail Air said its helicopter was involved in the accident while landing with passengers evacuated from the Everest region.

An official of Fishtail Air said the Indian and New Zealand nationals aboard its helicopter were tourists. An official of Air Dynasty, meanwhile, said its helicopter was carrying cargo only.

According to the Solukhumbu District Police Office, the deceased was identified as Indian national Basant Kumar Balaramaramadu, who was travelling aboard the Fishtail Air helicopter.

The injured New Zealand citizen of Indian origin was identified as Shailesh Krishna Patel. Police Inspector Mausam Tamang said Patel was airlifted to Mediciti Hospital in Kathmandu by a Prabhu Helicopter.

Both helicopters’ pilots sustained minor injuries and were also taken to Kathmandu for medical treatment.

The body of the deceased Indian tourist was taken to a hospital in Lukla, police said.

Authorities are collecting information and investigating the incident to establish the circumstances surrounding the collision and determine how many people were aboard the helicopters.

The accident occurred during Nepal’s busy trekking season, when helicopter services are widely used to transport tourists, mountaineers and trekkers to and from the Everest region.