Two helicopters collide while landing in Nepal, killing passenger

Two helicopters operated by Fishtail Air and Air Dynasty collided while attempting to land at Pheriche in Nepal’s Solukhumbu district on November 3, killing an Indian passenger and injuring people aboard the aircraft, according to police and aviation officials. The collision occurred at about 8:11 a.m. local time near the Mount Everest Base Camp trekking route. Police identified the passenger who died as Vasanth Kumar Balaramaramadu, 47, an Indian national travelling in the Fishtail Air helicopter. Police Inspector Mausam Tamang said another passenger on that helicopter, Shailesh Krishna Patel, a 49-year-old New Zealand resident, was injured and taken to Kathmandu for treatment. The pilots were also reported injured. Tamang said both pilots were taken to Kathmandu, while other reports said one pilot received treatment locally. Accounts differ on the total number injured: police reporting cited by Tamang identified Patel and both pilots as hurt, while other reports counted the injured passenger and one pilot. The total number of people aboard the two helicopters has not been confirmed. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said the helicopters’ rotor blades struck as they...