New Delhi, November 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India on Tuesday confirmed the death of an Indian national in a collision involving two helicopters in Nepal and said efforts were underway to bring back his mortal remains at the earliest.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the Indian mission in Nepal had verified the death and conveyed its condolences over the incident.
“We have seen some of the pictures. Two helicopters were involved in the accident, and one Indian national has reportedly died. Our mission in Nepal has also confirmed this and expressed its condolences. We will try to bring back the mortal remains as soon as possible,” Jaiswal said at a media briefing.
According to Nepalese authorities, Vasanth Kumar, an Indian national from Tamil Nadu, was killed when two helicopters collided while attempting to land at a helipad in Pheriche, in the mountainous Solukhumbu district, on Tuesday morning.
Solukhumbu District Police Office chief DSP Nabin Raja Budhathoki told IANS that another passenger, a New Zealand national of Indian origin, was injured.
Both passengers were aboard a Fishtail Air helicopter that collided with an Air Dynasty helicopter. The Fishtail Air pilot also sustained minor injuries, while the Air Dynasty helicopter was carrying no passengers, according to Nepalese authorities.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said an Air Dynasty AS350 helicopter, registration number 9NAOD, had departed from Lukla Airport for Pheriche. The Fishtail Air AS350 helicopter, registration number 9NAJR, had departed from Gorakshep carrying two foreign nationals.
The collision occurred at 8:12 a.m. local time as the helicopters attempted to land at Pheriche, the authority said.
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