Two helicopters collide while landing near Everest in Nepal, Indian tourist killed

A serious helicopter accident took place in the Everest region of Nepal on Tuesday morning. Two helicopters that were trying to land collided head-on. An Indian tourist died on the spot, while a New Zealand citizen of Indian origin was seriously injured. The pilots of both helicopters were also injured.

The accident happened at about 8.11 am at the helipad at Pheri in Solukhumbu district. Helicopters of two different companies, Fishtail Air and Air Dynasty, were trying to land there when they collided.

According to Police Inspector Mausam Tamang of the Solukhumbu District Police Office, Indian tourist Vasant Kumar Balaramaramadu, who was travelling in the Fishtail Air helicopter, died in the accident. His body has been brought to a hospital in Lukla.

Shailesh Krishna Patel, a New Zealand citizen of Indian origin, was in the same helicopter. He was seriously injured. He was safely evacuated from the site with the help of a Prabhu Helicopter and was immediately admitted to Medicity Hospital in Kathmandu for treatment.

The injured pilots of both helicopters have also been moved to Kathmandu for treatment.

It is not yet clear what caused the accident, whether a technical fault or human error. Efforts are under way to obtain details of the total number of passengers on the two helicopters at the time, and police are investigating the matter thoroughly.