Wrecks of Manang Air helicopter that crashed in Solukhumbu on Tuesday morning. (Photo: Nepalkhabar)
Five Mexican citizens who were visiting Nepal died in a helicopter crash in Solukhumbu district on Tuesday morning.
All the five Mexicans killed in the chopper crash of Manang Air arrived in Kathmandu on July 9 through Indira Gandhi International Airport in India. They came on a 15-day tourist visa to Nepal.
Airport Immigration Office has informed that they landed at the TIA through a flight of Air India.
After staying in Kathmandu on Sunday, they reached Lukla in Solukhumbu by Manang Air helicopter on Monday. They went to Lukla for a mountain flight. They stayed in Lukla on Monday and met with an accident while returning to Kathmandu on Tuesday morning.
The Manang Air helicopter was flown by CB Gurung.
They were three Mexican women and two men. According to a passengers manifest provided by the Manang Air, SIFUENTES G. FERANDO, GONZALEZ ABRICA, GONZALEZ OLACIO LUZ, SIFUENTES MARIA JOSE, and RINCON ISMAEL were on board the helicopter.
They came to visit Nepal together all the way from Mexico.
The helicopter that took off from Solukhumbu's Surke helipad for Kathmandu at 10:05 am lost contact after 10:13 am.
The Nepal Police team, which started searching after the helicopter went out of contact, found the chopper at Lamajura on the border of Dudhkunda Municipality 2 and Likhupike Rural Municipality 5 of Solukhumbu district.
A team led by Assistant Sub-Inspector Nirajan Basnet from Beni Police Station found the helicopter crashed after hitting a tree at Lamajura area.
DIG Rajesh Nath Bastola informed that five dead bodies were found at the accident site.
Now, more rescue teams have left for the accident site from Kathmandu in a helicopter. Police and locals from the surrounding areas also left for the accident site.
Preparations are underway to bring the bodies to Kathmandu today.
