Indian National Killed in Nepal Helicopter Crash

UPDATE - follow-up to Indian killed as two helicopters collide in Nepal: A 47-year-old Indian national died and another person sustained injuries when two helicopters crashed during landing in Nepal's Solukhumbu district.

The Incident

The accident took place at roughly 8.11 a.m. local time on Tuesday in Ward 4 of the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality at Pheriche, which sits on the route to the Mount Everest Base Camp about 150 kilometres northeast of Kathmandu. The aircraft involved belonged to Fishtail Air and Air Dynasty.

Casualties

Police Inspector Mausam Tamang stated that the dead Indian citizen was Vasanth Kumar Balaramaramadu, who was travelling on the Fishtail Air helicopter. His body was moved to a hospital in Lukla. Another passenger, 49-year-old Indian-origin New Zealand resident Shailesh Krishna Patel, suffered injuries and was flown to Mediciti Hospital in Kathmandu by a Prabhu Helicopter. Both pilots, Rabindra Prajapati of Fishtail Air and Prajwal KC of Dynasty Air, also sustained injuries and went to Kathmandu for medical care.

Context

Authorities are still working to confirm the exact total number of passengers who were inside the two helicopters at the time of the crash. Pheriche is a common stop for climbers and travellers heading towards the Mount Everest region, an area that sees frequent mountain aviation activity.