Indian tourist killed after two helicopters collide near Everest base camp

An Indian tourist has died after two helicopters collided while trying to land close to the base camp of Mount Everest, officials in Nepal 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, roughly 12km (7 miles) south of 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. According to Fishtail Air, the injured passengers and crew members were rescued and taken to Kathmandu. Bhupendra Thapa, an official in Solukhumbu district, told BBC Nepal that the injured passenger was a tourist from New Zealand. The second helicopter was operated by Air Dynasty and had been carrying cargo, the company said. It was flown by a single crew member, who was not hurt. 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, weather conditions appear clear and no strong wind effects are visible. One helicopter seems to be making a more rapid descent than the other. Helicopters are widely used for transport across Nepal because of the country's challenging terrain, but fast-changing weather and high altitude often make flying operations hazardous. Pheriche, which lies 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 nearby Ama Dablam are currently under way in the region, as autumn is a popular climbing season.