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Helicopter crash kills Nepal tourism chief

Seven people died when a helicopter crashed in Nepal's mountains, with the nation's tourism minister one of the passengers killed.

Nepalese mountains.

A helicopter has crashed in the Nepal's mountains. Source: ICIMOD/ALEX TREADWAY

A helicopter flying in bad weather has crashed in Nepal's mountainous region, killing all seven people on board including the country's tourism minister.

Rescuers reached the mountain site where the helicopter went down, about 400 kilometres east of Kathmandu, Home Ministry spokesman Ram Krishna Subedi said.

He said all seven on board were killed.

Family members of helicopter crash victims mourn at the International airport in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Family members of helicopter crash victims mourn at the International airport in Kathmandu, Nepal. Source: EPA

Government administrator Gita Kamari Rai, who is based at Taplejung District in the northeastern region, said it was snowing and raining at the time of the crash.

Tourism Minister Rabindra Adhikari and civil aviation officials were among the victims.

Adhikari, 49, had become the tourism minister in March 2018 after the Nepal Communist Party won parliamentary elections.

The rescue coordination office at the Kathmandu airport said a rescue helicopter had been sent to the area but bad weather was making approach to the crash site difficult.

The crashed helicopter belonged to Nepal-based Dynasty Air.


1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP



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