A helicopter carrying foreign tourists crashed near Mount Everest in Nepal, killing all six people on board, officials said.
On Tuesday, following a sightseeing excursion to the highest mountain in the world, a Nepali pilot and five citizens of Mexico were aboard a Manang Air flight headed back to Kathmandu.
At 10:04 a.m. (04:19 GMT), it took off from Surke in the Solukhunvhu area, home to Mount Everest and other high Himalayan peaks, but it lost contact after just 10 minutes and crashed in the Lamajura region.
According to airport spokeswoman Sagar Kadel, the helicopter’s intended flight path had to be modified due to weather circumstances. During the monsoon season, when there are usually heavy downpours, aeroplanes frequently experience delays and have to change their itineraries.
The area’s top government official, Basanta Bhattarai, claims that rescuers discovered the bodies of five victims while continuing to search for the sixth. But the sixth body wasn’t found until much later.
The conclusion of the tourist and climbing seasons coincided with the start of the rainy season in May. Fewer visitors fly to the Highlands at this time of year because of the poor visibility and unpredictability of the weather.
Since a plane carrying 72 people crashed in western Nepal, killing everyone on board, it has been over six months. The Himalayan nation has some of the most challenging and isolated runways in the world, with approaches that are challenging for even seasoned pilots to accomplish.
Flying can be hazardous in the mountains since the weather can occasionally shift quickly.
Poor safety in Nepal’s aviation sector has also been a result of inadequate training and maintenance. The European Union has prohibited all Nepali carriers from utilising its airspace out of safety concerns.
