Kathmandu: One foreign national was killed and another person injured when two helicopters collided in the mountainous Solukhumbu district of eastern Nepal on Tuesday morning, a senior Armed Police Force (APF) officer said.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Suraj Pandey, an APF officer assigned to Solukhumbu district, told IANS that helicopters operated by Fishtail Air and Dynasty Air collided while attempting to land at a helipad at around 8:15 a.m.
“One person killed, one injured as two helicopters collide at Phereche Heliport in Solukhumbu ,” Nepal Police posted on X.
The incident occurred at the Pheriche Helipad in Ward No. 4 of Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, in the Everest region, home to Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak.
“Preliminary information indicates that one foreign national was killed and another person, whose nationality has not yet been confirmed, was injured in the accident,” Pandey said. “The identities of the deceased and injured have not yet been established.”
Local media, citing police sources, reported that the injured person was airlifted to Lukla aboard a Prabhu Air helicopter for initial treatment.
Pandey said other details, including the number of people aboard the two helicopters, had not yet been confirmed. “No fire broke out at the scene following the collision,” he said.
Gyanendra Bhul, information officer at the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, told the local media outlet Onlinekhabar that the rotor blades of the two helicopters collided while they were landing at Pheriche Helipad.
He added that efforts were underway to obtain further details about the incident.
Police said the cause of the accident in the Himalayan settlement of Pheriche had not yet been determined. They were gathering further information and investigating the incident.
The Everest region is a major tourist destination, and helicopters operate frequently in the area, transporting foreign tourists and supporting rescue operations.
(IANS)
