Indian tourist killed after two helicopters collide near Everest base camp

An Indian tourist has died after two helicopters collided while attempting to land near the base camp of Mount Everest, two officials have confirmed to the BBC. Verified footage of the crash showed the rotor blades of the two aircraft clipping each other as they came in to land at around 08:15 local time (02:30 GMT) in Pheriche, approximately 12km (7 miles) south of Mount Everest Base Camp. Helicopter operator Fishtail Air named the man killed as Vasanth Kumar Balaramudu. The company said one of its aircraft was involved in the collision and that another passenger and the helicopter's captain had been injured. In a statement, Fishtail Air said the injured passengers and crew members on board were rescued and taken to Kathmandu. Bhupendra Thapa, an official of Solukhumbu district, told BBC Nepal that the injured passenger was a tourist from New Zealand. The other helicopter involved was operated by Air Dynasty and had been carrying cargo, the company said. It was flown by a single crew member, who sustained no injuries. Gyanendra Bhul, a spokesman for Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority, said: "It appears the accident happened when two helicopters... attempted to land at the same spot." In the video footage of the incident, the weather conditions look clear and no strong wind effects are visible. One helicopter appears to be making a more rapid descent than the other. Helicopters are widely used for transport in the Himalayan nation because of its challenging terrain, but rapidly changing weather conditions and high altitude often make aviation operations hazardous. The village of Pheriche, located on the trekking route to the summit of the world's tallest mountain, sits just over 4,000m (13,120ft) above sea level. Climbing expeditions to Everest and Ama Dablam mountain are currently under way in the region, as autumn is a popular climbing season.