Indian tourist killed as 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 showed the blades of the two aircraft clipping each other as they came into land at around 08:15 local time (02:30 GMT) in Pheriche, approximately 12km (7 miles) south of Everest Base Camp. The aircraft crashed just metres from the ground.

Helicopter company Fishtail Air named the man killed in the crash as Vasanth Kumar Balaramudu.

Fishtail Air said one of its vehicles was involved in the collision and that another passenger and the helicopter's captain had been injured. The injured passengers and crew were rescued and taken to Kathmandu, the company added in a statement.

The injured passenger was a tourist from New Zealand, an official of Solukhumbu district, Bhupendra Thapa, told BBC Nepal.

The other helicopter was operated by Air Dynasty and had been carrying cargo, the company said. It was operated by one crew member who sustained no injuries.

A spokesman for Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority, Gyanendra Bhul, said it appeared the accident happened when the two helicopters attempted to land at the same spot.

In the video footage, weather conditions looked clear and no strong wind effects were visible. One helicopter appeared to be making a more rapid descent than the other. People who witnessed the crash ran to the location afterwards.

Helicopters are widely used for transport in the Himalayan nation due to its challenging terrain. But its 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, Mount Everest, is 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.