Six dead in Mount Everest tourist helicopter crash: Mexican family of five including relatives aged 95 and 98 among victims
The tourists were believed to be Mexican nationals while the pilot was Nepalese
Six people have been killed after a helicopter carrying a Mexican family crashed soon after take-off in the Everest region on Tuesday, aviation authorities said.
A Mexican family of five, including a 98 and 95 year old, were on board the helicopter being flown by a Nepalese pilot when it crashed in the Lamajura area.
The aircraft was on a sightseeing tour to the world’s highest peak before they started making their return towards the capital Kathmandu on Tuesday morning.
The chopper lost contact about 10 minutes after taking off at 10.04 am (4.19 GMT).
‘Six bodies have been found at the crash site,’ Gyanendra Bhul of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal told AFP.
At least five people were killed after a helicopter carrying foreign tourists crashed Tuesday near Mount Everest (pictured) in Nepal
Two helicopters and teams on the ground had been deployed for search and rescue.
Airport official Sagar Kadel said weather conditions had caused changes to be made to the Manang Air helicopter’s planned flight route.
It is common for flights to be delayed and routes changed during the monsoon season amid heavy rains.
Initially, the helicopter was believed to be missing before officials discovered the wreckage around the Lamjura Pass of Solukhumbu district.
Police said they believe the accident happened at around 3,500 meters (almost 2.2 miles) above sea level.
The Himalayan Times identified the pilot as Captain Chet B Gurung. It also reported that all five passengers were members of the same family: Sifuentes G. Fernando, aged 95; Sifuentes Rincon Ismail, 98; Sifuentes Gongalez Abril, 72; Gongalez Olacio Luz, 65; and Sifuentes G. Maria Jese, 52.
A specialised altitude helicopter carrying security personnel was dispatched towards a potential crash site using the known GPS coordinates of the aircraft, as officials located the remaining body.
The aircraft was on a sightseeing tour to the world’s highest peak before they started making their return towards the capital Kathmandu on Tuesday morning
Rescue workers are now providing assistance and aid to the ongoing rescue effort in the race against the clock to find the last possible survivor.
The tourist and mountaineering season ended in May with the onset of the rainy season and tourist flights to the mountains are less common this time of year as visibility is poor and weather conditions become unpredictable.
