Nepal helicopter crash: In a tragic incident, all six people on board a helicopter were killed when it crashed near Mount Everest in Nepal on Tuesday (July 11). Among the deceased, five people were Mexican tourists and the pilot was Nepalese, said authorities. The Mexicans included two men and three women.
Mexico's National Cancer Institute stated that one of those killed was Dr Abril Cifuentes González, an internal medicine specialist there. A week ago, Sifuentes had posted a photo of himself standing in front of the Taj Mahal on Instagram.
Chief government administrator in the area Basanta Bhattarai said the helicopter crashed in the Lamajura area and all the bodies were recovered. The bodies were transported from the crash site to Kathmandu using two rescue helicopters. According to information, a post-mortem will be conducted before the bodies are handed over to relatives or embassy officials.
The cause of accident yet to be ascertained
It should be mentioned here that the accident happened when the helicopter was returning to Kathmandu on Tuesday morning after bringing the tourists on a sightseeing trip to the world's highest peak. Airport official Sagar Kadel said the cause of the crash is yet to be ascertained. He further said the ill-fated helicopter's planned flight route had be changed owing to weather conditions.
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Notably, it is usual for flights to be cancelled, delayed and routes changed during the monsoon season and heavy rains. The tourist and mountaineering season ended in May with the onset of the rainy season in Nepal and tourist flights to the mountains are less common this time of year as visibility is poor and weather conditions become unpredictable.
(With AP inputs)
