Nepal: 6 Dead in Helicopter Crash near Mount Everest

A helicopter has crashed near Mount Everest in Nepal, killing all six people on board, aviation authorities said on Tuesday.

Reports mentioned earlier that contact with the Manang Air helicopter, which took off from Surki in the Solukhumbu district bound for the capital Kathmandu, was lost 15 minutes after its departure on Tuesday morning.

Government officials told news agencies that the helicopter was carrying five Mexican tourists and a Nepali pilot.

Locals reported that the chopper was found crashed at Chihandanda in Lamjura of Bhakanje village, the Kathmandu Post cited a rural municipal official as saying.

Nepal’s civil aviation regulator said the cause of the crash was not yet known, adding that the government would set up a committee to investigate.

Nepal is notorious for its poor aviation safety.

Many airlines in the Himalayan country fly to small airports in remote hills that are often covered in clouds.

The weather can also change quickly in the mountains, creating treacherous flying conditions.

In January, Nepal saw its worst air crash in three decades when a plane crashed near Pokhara, reportedly leaving all 72 people aboard dead.

The European Union has banned all Nepali carriers from its airspace over safety concerns.