Helicopter Collision in Nepal Claims Life of Indian National
Tragic Helicopter Accident in Nepal's Everest Region
File image shows the wreckage of two helicopters that collided while attempting to land at the Pheriche helipad in Nepal's Everest region(Source: @RajatJain/X)
Kathmandu, Nov 3: Authorities have confirmed that the foreign national who lost his life in a helicopter crash in Nepal on Tuesday was an Indian citizen.
The incident occurred in the Solukhumbu district of eastern Nepal, resulting in one fatality and one injury when two helicopters collided during landing.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nabin Raja Budhathoki, head of the District Police Office in Solukhumbu, reported that Vasanth Kumar, hailing from Tamil Nadu, was the deceased.
"The injured individual is a New Zealand citizen of Indian descent," he added. Both were passengers on a Fishtail Air helicopter that collided with an Air Dynasty helicopter while attempting to land at a helipad in the Pheriche area.
Budhathoki noted that the pilot of the Fishtail Air helicopter sustained minor injuries, while the Air Dynasty helicopter was unoccupied by passengers.
According to a statement from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, an AS350 helicopter operated by Air Dynasty Heli Service Pvt. Ltd., with registration number 9NAOD, had taken off from Lukla Airport heading to Pheriche.
The other helicopter, also an AS350 operated by Fishtail Air Pvt. Ltd., registration number 9NAJR, departed from Gorakshep for Pheriche carrying two foreign nationals. The collision occurred at 8:12 a.m. local time as both helicopters were landing.
Social media videos appear to capture the moment the rotor blades of the two helicopters collided as they neared each other before crashing.
Local reports indicate that the injured passenger has been transported to Kathmandu for further medical care.
"We are arranging to send the body of the deceased passenger to Kathmandu for a post-mortem examination," Budhathoki stated.
The Everest region is a popular tourist hotspot, with helicopters frequently operating in the area to transport tourists and assist in rescue missions.