Source : Perth Now news
Two helicopters have collided in midair while trying to land at Mount Everest base camp, a local police officer says.
An Indian tourist died in the accident while a passenger from New Zealand on the same helicopter was taken to a hospital in Kathmandu, the officer said.
The Kathmandu Post newspaper reported that the pilots of both helicopters were safe although one was injured in the accident.
Videos showed the rotor blades of one helicopter striking the fuselage of the other just a few metres above the ground.
Both aircraft, approaching from opposite directions, were attempting to land at roughly the same time on a patch of snow or ice being used as a landing site.
They were both severely damaged.
The accident occurred in the village of Pheriche which, at an altitude of 4371 metres, is a popular stop-off point for trekkers and mountaineers on their way to Everest Base Camp.
The camp is both a destination for trekking tours and the starting point for expeditions to the summit of the world’s highest mountain at 8849 metres.
It was initially unclear how the collision came about.
According to The Kathmandu Post, a debate has been raging for years between helicopter tour providers in the Everest region and local communities who view the increasing number of helicopter flights as a threat to the fragile ecosystem.
Tour operators argue that the expensive sightseeing flights are important for the region’s tourism market.
