Two tourist helicopters collide in mid-air while landing in front of tour group below Mount Everest base camp, killing one person

Published: 02:26 EDT, 3 November 2026 | Updated: 02:48 EDT, 3 November 2026 Two helicopters collided Tuesday while trying to land just below Mount Everest's base camp, killing at least one person and injuring two others.The aircraft were ferrying trekkers who had been hiking up to Everest base camp during Nepal's popular trekking season. Heavy snow had covered the route before the weather improved Sunday and thousands of trekkers were able to move around.There are no roads on Everest, and helicopters are the only way to bring down trekkers and guides who become sick or exhausted in the cold and high altitude.The helicopters crashed at Pheriche village, which is at 4,200 metres (13,780 feet) altitude.A 47-year-old tourist from India was killed in the crash, according to Bhupendra Thapa, a Solukhumbu district administration officer.A passenger from New Zealand was injured and was being transported to the capital, Kathmandu, for treatment. A Nepali pilot sustained injuries but was treated locally. Two helicopters collided Tuesday while trying to land just below Mount Everest's base camp, killing at least one person and injuring two others The aircraft were ferrying trekkers who had been hiking up to Everest base camp during Nepal's popular trekking season People stand next to a damaged helicopter after two helicopters collided as they prepared to land in Nepal's Mount Everest region November 3The deceased tourist has been named as Vasant Kumar Balara Madu. The injured passenger was identified as Shailesh Krishna Patel.The number of people on the two helicopters wasn't clear.The Mount Everest base camp trek lasts up to two weeks and goes from the only airstrip in the area at Lukla to base camp located at 5,300 metres (17,380 feet).The trek is popular during the fall season, right after the rainy season and before the harsh winter months.Small helicopters are widely used in Nepal to transport tourists, climbers and supplies, as well as to carry out emergency evacuations.The Himalayan nation'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. 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. The dramatic crash at the Pheriche helipad occurred around 8.11am local time (2.26am GMT).