KATHMANDU — A 47-year-old Indian national was killed and three other people were injured when two helicopters collided while landing at a helipad in Nepal's Solukhumbu district on Tuesday morning, police and officials said.
The accident occurred at approximately 8:11 a.m. local time at the Pheriche helipad in Ward 4 of Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, around 150 km northeast of Kathmandu. The rotor blades of the aircraft operated by Fishtail Air and Air Dynasty struck each other as they approached the landing zone, according to the District Police Office.
Vasanth Kumar Balaramaramadu, the Indian national, died in the collision. Shailesh Krishna Patel, a 49-year-old Indian-origin resident of New Zealand who was aboard the same helicopter, was injured and airlifted to Mediciti Hospital in Kathmandu by a Prabhu Helicopter. Nepalese pilots Rabindra Prajapati of Fishtail Air and Prajwal KC of Air Dynasty were also injured and taken to Kathmandu for treatment.
Pheriche is a known stop on the route to Mount Everest Base Camp. The exact number of passengers aboard the helicopters at the time of the collision has not been confirmed. Police said they were continuing to gather details of the incident.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal confirmed the collision and said officials were gathering further information. CCTV footage of the incident has surfaced, showing the helicopters coming close before their rotor blades struck.
The accident highlights the risks associated with small‑helicopter operations in the Himalayan region, where such aircraft are widely used to ferry tourists and mountaineers, transport supplies and conduct emergency rescues.
