KATHMANDU: A 47-year-old Indian national, Vasanth Kumar Balaramaramadu, lost his life when two helicopters collided while landing at Pheriche in Ward 4 of Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality in Nepal's Solukhumbu district.
One other passenger is severely injured in the accident. The helicopters operated by Fishtail Air and Air Dynasty, collided at around 8.11am (local time), according to the District Police Office, Solukhumbu.
Police Inspector Mausam Tamang said the deceased was identified as Vasanth Kumar Balaramaramadu, an Indian national travelling aboard the Fishtail Air helicopter.
Shailesh Krishna Patel, a 49-year-old Indian origin resident of New Zealand who was also aboard the same helicopter, was injured in the collision.
He was airlifted to Mediciti Hospital in Kathmandu by a Prabhu Helicopter, Tamang said.
Nepalese pilots, Rabindra Prajapati of Fishtail Air and Prajwal KC of Dynasty Air, were also injured in the incident and have been taken to Kathmandu for further treatment.
Pheriche lies on the way to the Mt Everest Base Camp, 150 km northeast of Kathmandu.
Police said the body of Balaramaramadu has been taken to a hospital in Lukla.
The number of passengers aboard the two helicopters at the time of the collision has yet to be confirmed. Police said they were gathering further details of the incident.
Small helicopters are widely used in the Himalayan nation to transport tourists, climbers and supplies, as well as to carry out emergency evacuations.
The country's challenging terrain and rapidly changing weather conditions make aviation operations particularly hazardous.
Nepal is home to eight of the world's 14 highest mountains, including Mount Everest, and attracts thousands of foreign climbers and trekkers every year.
With inputs from PTI, AFP