Helicopter carrying ‘foreign tourists’ crashes near Mount Everest, killing at least five
- Rescue teams had recovered the bodies of five people and wear and tear in search of a sixth
- The tourists were believed to be Mexican citizens while the pilot was Nepali.
At least five people have died after a helicopter carrying foreign tourists crashed near Mount Everest in Nepal on Tuesday, with another person on the plane still missing.
The helicopter crashed in the Lamajura area and rescuers recovered the bodies of five people and were searching for a sixth, said Basanta Bhattarai, the top government administrator in the area.
The plane was on a sightseeing tour of the world’s highest peak before beginning its return to the capital Kathmandu on Tuesday morning.
The tourists were believed to be Mexican citizens, while the pilot was Nepali.
Airport official Sagar Kadel said weather conditions had caused changes to the Manang Air helicopter’s planned flight path.
At least five people were killed after a helicopter carrying foreign tourists crashed near Mount Everest (pictured) in Nepal on Tuesday.
It is common for flights to be delayed and routes to change during the monsoon season amid heavy rain.
Initially, the helicopter was believed to have gone missing before officials discovered the wreckage around the Lamjura Pass in Solukhumbu district.
The tourist and mountaineering season ended in May with the start of the rainy season, and tourist flights to the mountains are less common at this time of year, as visibility is poor and weather conditions become unpredictable.
This is developing news. More to follow…
