One dead, three injured in helicopter collision near Everest base camp
Two helicopters collided while attempting to land in Nepal’s Everest region, resulting in one fatality and three injuries.
Rotor blades from one helicopter struck the fuselage of the other during landings at Solukhumbu district.
A New Zealander and both pilots sustained injuries.
The crash happened at Pheriche helipad, with Fishtail Air and Air Dynasty helicopters involved.
Fatal accident
The deceased was Vasanth Kumar from India, while Fishtail Air’s Shailesh Kishan and pilot Prajwal KC were injured, as earlier reported by theaustralian.com.au.
Air Dynasty’s pilot, Rabindra Prajapati, was also hurt.
Video footage showed the helicopters approaching from opposite directions before colliding.
Helicopters are common for transporting tourists and evacuations in Nepal.
The Air Dynasty helicopter was delivering cargo to Pheriche, a key stop for trekkers near Everest base camp.
Nepal’s terrain and weather pose significant aviation risks, with over 360 air crash fatalities since 2000.
In 2024, a plane crash in Kathmandu claimed 18 lives.
Six died in a helicopter crash in Solukhumbu the year before.
In 2023, a tragic ATR 72-500 crash killed all 72 onboard near Pokhara, marking a significant disaster.
