One killed after helicopters collide in Nepal

KATHMANDU — Two helicopters collided and crashed while attempting to land in Nepal’s Everest region on Tuesday, killing a foreign national and injuring another person, police told AFP.

Small helicopters are widely used in the Himalayan nation to transport tourists, climbers and supplies, as well as to carry out emergency evacuations.

READ: Six dead in Nepal tourist helicopter crash

The country’s challenging terrain and rapidly changing weather conditions make aviation operations particularly hazardous.

The small helicopters crashed into each other as both came into land on a snowy site in Solukhumbu district.

“One foreigner is dead on the spot, and another injured person has been taken to the hospital,” Nabin Raja Budhathoki, in charge of Solukhumbu District Police, told AFP. He gave no further details.

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Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains, including Mount Everest, and attracts thousands of foreign climbers and trekkers every year. /dl