Two helicopters collide near Everest base camp, killing one tourist
The mid-air impact occurred at a high-altitude landing site in Solukhumbu district, leaving three people injured including both pilots.
By Jessica Abebe ·
Nepal Police reported that two helicopters struck each other while attempting to land at a helipad in the Solukhumbu district on Tuesday. One person died and three others sustained injuries in the accident, which took place after 8 a.m. local time. A weather webcam captured the moment of impact.
The collision happened at a landing site in Pheriche, located at approximately 4,200 meters elevation along the route to Everest base camp. Nabin Raja Budhathoki, the deputy superintendent of police for Solukhumbu, confirmed that both aircraft were in the process of landing when they crashed.
One helicopter, a commercial cargo craft operated by Air Dynasty, was flying from Lukla to Pheriche. It carried only the pilot. The second aircraft, operated by Fishtail Air, had just returned from Everest base camp. It carried a pilot and two foreign passengers. One of those passengers died at the scene.
Police identified the deceased as Vasanth Kumar Balaramudu, a resident of Chennai, India. The other passenger, Shailesh Krishan Patel, a New Zealand citizen, suffered serious injuries. He was airlifted directly to Nepal Mediciti Hospital in Kathmandu. Both pilots were also hurt. The Fishtail pilot was taken to a hospital near Kathmandu, while the Air Dynasty pilot received treatment in Lukla.
The incident occurred during the prime autumn trekking season, as the region recovers from late-August flash floods. The climbing season has concluded, but tourism remains a major economic driver for the area.
