One killed, two injured as helicopters collide near Mount Everest in Nepal

One person was killed and two others injured after two helicopters collided while attempting to land near Mount Everest in Nepal on Tuesday morning. The accident took place around 8.15am in Feriche village, near the Everest base camp, when helicopters operated by Fishtail Air and Air Dynasty attempted to land at the same location, according to a report by BBC Nepali. A tourist was killed in the collision, officials said. The nationality of the deceased passenger has not yet been disclosed. Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) deputy spokesperson Gyanendra Bhul said that the helicopters were approaching the landing area from different directions when the accident occurred, BBC reported. Solukhumbu assistant chief district officer Bhupendra Thapa confirmed the death of a "foreign passenger". He also said that two people were injured in the incident, with one of them being airlifted to Lukla for treatment. "Another injured person has been brought to Lukla by helicopter," Thapa said. According to Bhul, one helicopter was travelling from Lukla, while the other was returning from Gorakhpur, near the Everest base camp. Both reportedly attempted to land at the same spot. "It appears that the accident occurred when helicopters travelling from Lukla and returning from Gorakhpur, near the base camp, tried to land at the same place," Bhul said. The exact cause of the collision remains unclear. However, preliminary information suggests that snow-covered helipads may have played a role in the accident. "It looks like they tried to land on one of the other helipads, perhaps because it was covered in snow, even though there were other helipads," he said. The authorities have not yet released further details about the identities of those involved or the circumstances leading to the collision.