A 47-year-old Indian national from Chennai was killed after two helicopters collided while landing at Pheriche helipad in Nepal Everest region. Three others, including two pilots, were injured.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi: A helicopter collision at a high-altitude helipad in Nepal’s Solukhumbu district on Tuesday morning killed an Indian passenger and left three others injured, including two pilots.
The accident occurred around 8:11 am at Pheriche helipad in the Everest region of Nepal, about 250 km from Kathmandu. Two helicopters operated by Fishtail Air and Dynasty Air reportedly collided while attempting to land. Their rotor blades struck each other, causing both aircraft to crash onto the ground.
The deceased was identified as Vasanth Kumar Balaramaramadu, a 47-year-old Indian national from Chennai. Another passenger, a New Zealand citizen of Indian origin, was injured and airlifted to a hospital. Both pilots sustained minor injuries, officials said.
“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.
A video purportedly showing the collision has circulated on social media. It appears to capture the helicopter rotors making contact moments before the aircraft come down on the snow-covered ground. The footage has not been independently authenticated.
TWO HELICOPTERS COLLIDE NEAR EVEREST BASE CAMP; ONE FOREIGNER KILLED
Scary footage this morning.
Two helicopters operated by Fishtail Air and Air Dynasty collided while attempting to land at Pheriche in Nepal’s Everest region
One foreign passenger was killed and another person injured. The crash occurred around 8:15 AM (local time)
The cause is under investigation.
— Subodh Kumar (@kumarsubodh_) November 3, 2026
Helicopters are widely used in Nepal to transport tourists, mountaineers and supplies across the Himalayan region. They also serve as a lifeline for emergency evacuations. However, high-altitude flying carries significant risks.
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Thin air at elevated altitudes reduces rotor lift and engine performance. Unpredictable weather and difficult terrain add to the challenges faced by pilots.
Nepal has eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains and attracts thousands of trekkers and climbers every year.
The accident comes days after a helicopter crashed near Badrinath in Uttarakhand, killing all six people on board. The two incidents have once again drawn attention to the risks of helicopter operations in the Himalayan region.
