The Government of Nepal’s Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has expressed deep sorrow over a helicopter collision involving Air Dynasty and Fishtail Air in the Pheriche area of Solukhumbu district. According to an official press release issued on Kartik 17, 2083 BS, the two helicopters collided while attempting to land at approximately 8:12 AM Nepal time. The ministry described the incident as a tragic aviation accident and expressed concern over the loss of life and injuries.

The accident claimed the life of Basantkumar Balramudu, an Indian national from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, who was travelling aboard the Fishtail Air helicopter. The ministry extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and prayed for the eternal peace of the deceased. It also wished a speedy recovery to injured New Zealand national Shailesh Kisan Patel and the pilots of the helicopters involved. According to the statement, arrangements were being made to proceed with the necessary procedures concerning the deceased’s body, while injured individuals had been transported to Mediciti Hospital in Kathmandu for medical treatment.

Reaffirming its commitment to strengthening Nepal’s aviation sector, the ministry stated that the government has been continuously working to ensure safe, reliable and internationally competitive air services through policy, institutional, structural and infrastructure improvements. It emphasized that aviation safety standards, effective implementation of regulations and regulatory supervision remain government priorities. The ministry further confirmed that an investigation into the causes and circumstances of the collision has been initiated, assuring stakeholders that necessary corrective and preventive measures would be implemented based on the investigation’s findings.