Tragedy Near Everest: Helicopter Collision at Pheriche Helipad Kills One
An Indian national died and four others were injured after two helicopters collided at the Pheriche helipad near Mount Everest.
A routine landing operation turned into a disaster on Tuesday morning when a Nepal helicopter collision occurred at the Pheriche helipad in the Solukhumbu district. The accident, which took place at approximately 8:11 a.m., claimed the life of an Indian national and left four others injured in the high-altitude region near Mount Everest.
The Moment of Impact
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the tragedy unfolded in Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality-4. Two helicopters, operated by Fishtail Air and Air Dynasty, were attempting to land at the Pheriche helipad when their rotors collided in mid-air.
The severity of the impact was captured in a video that has since surfaced, showing the two aircraft coming into contact during their final landing approach. Gyanendra Bhul, an information officer for CAAN, confirmed that the rotor collision was the primary cause of the crash.
Casualties and Injuries
The collision resulted in the death of 47-year-old Vasant Kumar Balaramaramadu, a resident of Chennai, India. Four other individuals sustained injuries in the accident:
- Shailesh Krishna Patel: A 49-year-old person of Indian origin from New Zealand, who required urgent medical attention.
- Ravindra Prajapati: One of the two pilots involved in the crash.
- Prajwal KC: The second pilot involved in the collision.
- One other unnamed individual.
Following the crash, Shailesh Krishna Patel was airlifted to Medicity Hospital in Kathmandu for specialized treatment.
Rescue Operations and Investigation
Immediate rescue efforts were launched to evacuate the survivors from the remote site. Helicopters from Prabhu Air and Simrik Air were deployed to transport the injured to medical facilities.
The local authorities have now shifted their focus to determining exactly how the two aircraft ended up in each other's path. Inspector Mausam Tamang of the Solukhumbu District Police Office stated that an official investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash is currently underway. Authorities are analyzing the available data and the surfaced video footage to piece together the sequence of events that led to the fatal collision.