Indian tourist killed, three injured as two helicopters collide in Nepal's Mount Everest region

Shailesh Krishna Patel, a New Zealand citizen of Indian origin who was also aboard the same helicopter, was injured in the collision.

An Indian tourist was killed and three others were injured after two helicopters collided while landing in Nepal's Solukhumbu district on Tuesday morning. The Indian tourist from Tamil Nadu's Chennai, identified as Vasanth Kumar Balaramaramadu (47), died on the spot, officials said.

The injured passenger was airlifted to Lukla aboard a Prabhu Air helicopter for initial treatment, police said. (Everest Today)

Balaramaramadu was aboard the Fishtail Air helicopter which collided with a Air Dynasty chopper, Inspector Mausam Tamang said, as reported by The Kathmandu Post. He added that the 47-year-old Indian national was taken to a hospital in Lukla.

Shailesh Krishna Patel, a New Zealand citizen of Indian origin who was also aboard the same helicopter, was injured in the collision. He was airlifted to Mediciti Hospital in Kathmandu aboard a Prabhu Air helicopter, Tamang said.

Deep Dive

Where and when did the two helicopters collide in Nepal?

What may have caused the helicopter collision near Everest Base Camp?

Who was killed and who was injured in the Nepal helicopter collision?

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Prajjwal KC the pilot of Fishtail Air and Rabindra Prajapati the pilot of Air Dynasty sustained minor injuries, Nepali media reported.

“Preliminary reports suggest miscommunication between the pilots, as the area is outside the coverage of Lukla Airport's air traffic control tower and pilots have to communicate with each other,” Mukesh Dangol, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post.

When did the collision occur

The helicopters collided at around 8:11 am while landing at Pheriche in Ward 4 of Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, according to the District Police Office, The Kathmandu Post reported.

The aircraft were ferrying trekkers who had been hiking up to Everest base camp during Nepal's popular trekking season. The helicopters crashed at Pheriche village, which is at 4,200 meters (13,780 feet) altitude, AP reported.

"One foreigner is dead on the spot, and another injured person has been taken to the hospital," Nabin Raja Budhathoki, in charge of Solukhumbu District Police, told AFP news agency.

The number of passengers aboard the two helicopters at the time of the collision is yet to be confirmed.