Kathmandu [Nepal], July 12: The helicopter crashed while carrying tourists in Nepal, killing the local pilot and five Mexicans from a family.
AFP news agency on July 12 reported that all six people were killed when a helicopter crashed while carrying tourists in the Everest region in Nepal , including families of five foreign tourists .
The incident happened on July 11, when a Manang Air (Nepal) flight was en route from the town of Lukla to the capital Kathmandu. Lukla is the gateway to Everest hikes.
Authorities said the victims included a Nepalese pilot and five members of a Mexican family. The helicopter lost contact with the ground about eight minutes after taking off on the morning of July 11, according to a statement from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.
"The bodies of six victims have been brought back to Kathmandu," said official Pratap Babu Tiwari at Tribhuvan airport in Nepal.
Two helicopters had previously been sent to search and rescue but were unable to land at the crash site due to bad weather. Tiwari said forces on the ground had moved the bodies to a nearby location where helicopters could land.
Local resident Lhakpa Sherpa involved in the search and rescue effort said the scene was "very scary" and that it appeared the helicopter hit a tree before crashing into the ground and creating a hole.
Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal expressed grief over the incident. The passengers included a couple and three children who were vacationing in the Himalayas, the Mexican Embassy in New Delhi (India) said, and sent condolences to the relatives of the victims.
Private helicopter service in Nepal is very developed, helping to bring tourists and goods to remote areas in the country with many hills and many places even without roads.
However, the issue of aviation safety in Nepal still has much to be resolved. In May, one person was killed and four injured when a helicopter crashed in the east of the country after dropping cargo for a hydroelectric project.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
