Helicopter crash-lands near Everest; pilot escapes with minor injuries

Kathmandu: A helicopter belonging to a private airline crash-landed near the Mt Everest region in Nepal on Wednesday morning and the pilot, the only person on board, escaped with minor injuries, according to police.

The Altitude Air helicopter had taken off from Lukla without passengers and was on a mission to rescue stranded tourists in Lobuchem, situated in the Khumbu region, when the incident occurred.

According to a police officer at Solukhumbu District Police Office, the chopper, piloted by Captain Vivek Khadka, slipped due to heavy snowfall in the area while attempting to land.

The pilot didn’t suffer any major injury, though the aircraft broke into two pieces. The pilot was airlifted to Lukla for a medical examination, and his condition is said to be stable.

Many trekkers were stranded in mountainous areas, including Mustang, the Annapurna region and the Everest region on Tuesday and Wednesday due to heavy snowfall.

Authorities have urged trekkers and mountaineers to take precautions as the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has forecast heavy snowfall and rain in different parts of the country, including the mountain region.