An Indian tourist was killed and a New Zealand national injured when two helicopters collided and crashed as they tried to land in Nepal’s Everest region on Tuesday, police said.
“The 47-year-old Indian tourist died on the spot,” Nabin Raja Budhathoki, in charge of Solukhumbu District Police, told AFP. “The injured 53-year-old New Zealander has been airlifted to Kathmandu for further treatment,” he added.
Arrangements were also being made to fly the body of the deceased to the capital. Both pilots survived.
Small helicopters are widely used in the Himalayan nation to transport tourists, climbers and supplies, and to carry out emergency evacuations. The challenging terrain and rapidly changing weather make flying there particularly hazardous.
Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains, including Everest, and attracts thousands of foreign climbers and trekkers every year.