Indian Tourist Killed in Collision Between Two Helicopters Near Mount Everest

An Indian tourist was killed and a New Zealand national was injured after two helicopters collided while preparing to land in the Mount Everest region of Nepal. The accident occurred on Tuesday, according to local authorities.

Kaman Singh Thapa Magar, chief district officer of Solukhumbu district, told Reuters that the two helicopters collided near Everest Base Camp. The injured New Zealand national was rescued.

Indian news outlet NDTV reported that a video of the accident had circulated on social media. However, the outlet said it could not independently verify the footage. The video appeared to show the rotor blades of the two helicopters colliding during landing before the aircraft crashed onto the snow-covered ground.

The helicopters were operated by two private companies, Fishtail Air and Dynasty Air. Fishtail Air said its helicopter was involved in the accident while landing after returning with tourists rescued from the Everest region. Both the Indian and New Zealand nationals on board were tourists.

Meanwhile, an official from Dynasty Air said its helicopter was carrying cargo only and had no passengers on board.

Nepal is currently in the peak season for mountaineering and trekking. Helicopters are widely used during this period to transport tourists and climbers and to carry out rescue operations. However, flying in the region can be challenging because of rugged mountainous terrain, rapidly changing weather conditions and lower air density at high altitudes.

Eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains are located in Nepal. Thousands of foreign climbers and tourists visit the country every year.

Just days before the incident, another helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff in Badrinath, in India’s Uttarakhand state. Six people, including the pilot, were killed in that accident.