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India on Tuesday expressed condolences over the death of an Indian national in a mid-air collision involving two helicopters during their landing sequence in Nepal's Solukhumbu district and assured that efforts were being made for the early repatriation of the mortal remains.
Addressing a bi-weekly press briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal highlighted the efforts being undertaken by the Indian Embassy in Nepal following the incident. "We have seen reports and even some images of the incident. Two helicopters were involved in a collision. An Indian national has died in the accident. Our Embassy has confirmed this and has expressed its condolences. We will make efforts to bring the mortal remains back as soon as possible," he said. Earlier in the day, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu also expressed condolences over the death of the Indian national in the helicopter collision, which left three other tourists injured. The Embassy assured ongoing efforts to bring back the mortal remains of the national as soon as possible. "The Embassy of India in Kathmandu expresses its deepest condolences on the unfortunate demise of an Indian national in an incident involving a collision between two helicopters in the Solukhumbu district of Nepal today. The Embassy is working in close coordination with Nepali authorities for early repatriation of the mortal remains of the deceased," the Embassy wrote in a post on X. https://x.com/IndiaInNepal/status/2117543642936307735?s=08 According to Inspector Mausam Tamang, as reported by The Kathmandu Post, the Indian tourist who succumbed to his injuries was identified as Vasanth Kumar Balaramaramadu, an Indian national travelling on board the Fishtail Air helicopter. Inspector Tamang added that the deceased tourist's body was transferred to a medical facility in Lukla. Shailesh Krishna Patel, a New Zealand citizen of Indian origin who was also a passenger on the same aircraft, suffered injuries in the crash. He was subsequently airlifted to Mediciti Hospital in Kathmandu via a Prabhu Air helicopter, Inspector Tamang stated. Additionally, both helicopter pilots received minor injuries and were transported to Kathmandu for further medical treatment. The collision, involving aircraft operated by Air Dynasty and Fishtail Air, occurred at approximately 8:11 am while both helicopters were attempting to land at Pheriche, located in Ward 4 of the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, the District Police Office reported, as noted by The Kathmandu Post. Authorities stated that the total number of passengers on board both helicopters at the time of the impact remains unconfirmed, as law enforcement personnel continue gathering details surrounding the accident. Meanwhile, closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage capturing the crash has emerged publicly, showing the two aircraft drifting dangerously close together before their rotor blades made contact. Further details regarding the circumstances surrounding the collision and the ongoing investigation are awaited. (ANI)
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