Indian Tourist Killed as Two Helicopters Collide Near Everest

An Indian tourist died after two helicopters collided while trying to land near Mount Everest base camp in Nepal, according to the BBC. The collision happened at around 08:15 local time on 3 November, or 02:30 GMT, in Pheriche. The village lies about 12 kilometres (7 miles) south of base camp, the staging area on the Everest side of the mountain, and just over 4,000 metres (13,120 feet) above sea level on the trekking route.

Fishtail Air, the company that operated one of the helicopters, named the man who died as Vasanth Kumar Balaramudu. The firm said another passenger and the helicopter's captain were injured. The other helicopter was operated by Air Dynasty and was carrying cargo. Its one crew member was not hurt.

The injured passenger was a tourist from New Zealand, according to Bhupendra Thapa, a district official in Solukhumbu, the area where the crash took place, who spoke to BBC Nepal. The injured passengers and crew were rescued and taken to Kathmandu.

Gyanendra Bhul, a spokesman for the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority, the country's aviation regulator, said the accident appears to have happened when two helicopters tried to land at the same spot. The collision took place during peak trekking season in Solukhumbu, a period when many visitors travel the routes that lead toward Everest.