An Indian tourist was killed when two helicopters collided as they attempted to land near Mount Everest Base Camp, officials told the BBC. The crash occurred at about 08:15 local time in Pheriche, around 12km south of the base camp.
Verified footage showed the helicopters’ blades clipping as the aircraft came in to land. Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority spokesman Gyanendra Bhul said the accident appeared to have happened because both helicopters tried to land at the same spot.
Fishtail Air identified the man who died as Vasanth Kumar Balaramudu. The company said one of its helicopters was involved and that its captain and another passenger were injured. The passenger, a tourist from New Zealand, and the injured crew member were taken to Kathmandu, according to Fishtail Air and a Solukhumbu district official.
The other helicopter was operated by Air Dynasty and was carrying cargo. The company said its aircraft had one crew member, who was not injured.
Pheriche lies just over 4,000 metres above sea level on the trekking route to Everest. Climbing expeditions to Everest and Ama Dablam are currently taking place in the region.
Sources: BBC News World.