Solukhumbu. An atmosphere of apprehension descended at Lobuche that lies in the heart of Sagarmatha this morning. A helicopter belonging to Altitude Air suddenly skidded and crashed at the landing site at Lobuche on the base of snow-covered Mount Everest. However, luck was on their side, and there were no human casualties in the accident. At 8:15 this morning, the chopper with the call sign ‘Alpha Mike Sierra’ had taken off from Lukla (4,940 metres) towards Lobuche.
The helicopter flew there to rescue some tourists who were stranded following heavy snowfall on Tuesday night. But during the landing at Lobuche helipad, the ice on the surface made the runway slippery, and the tail of the helicopter hit the ground. “During the landing, the helicopter slipped and its tail part was damaged, but pilot Bibek Khadka is safe, this is good news,” said Chief District Officer Lila Kumari KC Pandey. According to her, the crashed helicopter is still at the site. Due to heavy snow and adverse weather, it is not possible to reach Lobuche, Chief District Officer Pandey added.
“The helicopter is somewhat stuck in the snow, so it is not possible to fly it,” she said. Pilot Khadka was the only person on board the helicopter at the time of the accident. The Solukhumbu District Administration Office stated that Khadka was rescued by another helicopter and brought to Lukla. “We had arranged for immediate rescue, and it is a great relief that the pilot is safe,” said District Police Chief, Deputy Superintendent of Police Manojit Kunwar. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, all flights by helicopters and planes have been halted in the Khumbu region since this morning. It has been reported that no flights are possible until the weather improves.
