Six killed after tourist helicopter crashes near Mount Everest

Six people have been killed following a helicopter crash near Mount Everest in Nepal.

The news comes just hours after it was reported that the aircraft carrying five tourists was missing after taking off this morning.

The incident occurred on Tuesday morning while the Menang Air helicopter was flying back from the tour, according to Time.

Airport official, Sagar Kadel, told the publication that the weather had forced the pilot to change the helicopter’s original flight path.

“Manang Air helicopter 9N-AMV (AS50) which went missing this morning at 10:13 Local Time, was found crashed at Solukhumbu district Likhupike, Ward No. 5 near Lamjura.

“Locals and the police who reached the crashed site reported all 6 persons including Pilot dead,” Pratap Babu Tiwari, General Manager of TIACAO said in a statement on Twitter.

Tiwari also named the six people on board as Nepalese Captain C.B. Gurung and Mexican tourists Sifuentes G. Fernando, Gonzalez Abric, Gonzalez Olacio Luz, Sifuentes G. Maria Jose and Rincon Ismael.

The exact cause of the crash is still unknown but an investigation will be launched, according to The Express Tribune.

Manang Air spokesperson Raju Neupane said: “The helicopter took off in good weather. The weather was not bad. Now we can’t say what caused the crash. It will have to be investigated.”

In contrast, Tiwari said in his statement that when two Altitude Air helicopters departed for search-and-rescue, they were unable to land at the site of the crash due to “adverse weather.”

“Efforts are being made to carry the dead bodies by ground transportation to the helicopter landing area and further to Kathmandu,” he continued.

“Another helicopter of Simrik Air is also being mobilized for the rescue operation.”

The Tribhuvan International Airport Civil Aviation Office issued an update this afternoon to confirm that all six bodies “have been air lifted to Kathmandu Teaching hospital for post-mortem.”

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