Rescue Helicopter Crashes Near Everest Base Camp In Nepal’s Khumbu, Pilot Survives

Helicopter crashes in Nepal’s Khumbu (Photo: Social Media)

A rescue helicopter operated by private airline carrier Altitude Air crashed in Lobuche, near the Everest Base Camp region of Nepal’s Khumbu, on Wednesday.

Russian Television quoted the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and reported that the helicopter, bearing the call sign 9N-AMS, went down during a rescue mission.

Only the pilot was on board at the time of the crash and was safely rescued from the site.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

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.

News agency PTI quoted a police officer at Solukhumbu District Police Office as saying that 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.