Indian tourist killed after two helicopters collide near Everest base camp

What the report says

An Indian tourist was killed and another passenger injured after two helicopters collided while trying to land near Mount Everest base camp, according to BBC World News, citing Nepali officials and the aircraft operator. The crash happened in Pheriche, about 12 km south of base camp, at around 08:15 local time (02:30 GMT), when the helicopters’ blades clipped each other just above the ground, based on verified footage described by the broadcaster.

BBC World News reported that Fishtail Air identified the man who died as Vasanth Kumar Balaramudu. The company said one of its helicopters was involved in the collision and that a New Zealand tourist and the captain were injured. Those hurt were rescued and taken to Kathmandu. A separate helicopter, operated by Air Dynasty, was carrying cargo; the company said its lone crew member was not injured.

A spokesman for Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority said the accident appears to have occurred because both aircraft were trying to land at the same spot. The report also noted that helicopters are widely used in Nepal because of difficult terrain, but flying in the Himalayas can be risky because of fast-changing weather and high altitude. Pheriche lies on a trekking route used by climbers heading toward Everest and nearby peaks, and the incident comes during the busy autumn climbing season.