An airplane crashed in Nepal, near Everest: three dead

A twin-engine aircraft diverted take off on the small runway of Lukla Airport, gateway to the region of Everest, Nepal, and collided with two helicopters. Three people were killed and three others wounded, the local authorities said.

Also called "Tenzing Hillary Airport", in honor of the first mountaineers to climb the highest peak in the world, Lukla is one of the most difficult aerodromes in the world for take-offs and landings.

As reported by the spokesperson of Tribhuvan International Airport, Pratap Babu Tiwari, the pilot lost control by taking off and skidding on the right side of the runway. He then collided with two helicopters parked on a heliport about 30 meters from the runway.

"The plane was diverted to the helipad during its takeoff and hit two helicopters, the wounded were evacuated to Kathmandu," said Ema Nath Adhikari, one of the base officials. Aerial. "We are not sure of the causes of the accident", he added.

The co-pilot of the Let-410 aircraft from Summit Air, which was meant for Kathmanduand two ground policemen died in the accident.

The spokesman of the Nepalese police, Utam Raj Subedi, said, on the other hand, that there were no pbadengers aboard the plane at the time of the accident, adding that the captain who handled the injured aircraft was injured and was hospitalized but is stable.

Two members of the company Manang Air, owner of one of the helicopters, were also injured and hospitalized.

Every year, thousands of mountaineers and mountaineers go to Mount Everest. The activity is more intense in April, when the season of mountaineering begins.

Lukla does not have a radar system. Pilots must fly between snow-capped peaks and face a capricious climate to reach a track only 500 meters long at the summit of a peak and ending in an abyss.

In October 2008, the 18 pbadengers of a plane died in an accident. only the pilot survived.

Air transport has been strongly developed in recent years in Nepal, where road links are limited.

In the absence of serious training of pilots and good maintenance of aircraft, there are often air tragedies in the country. The European Union banned its airspace to all Nepalese companies.