Nepal tourist helicopter missing with 6 onboard

A helicopter went missing in Nepal on Tuesday carrying five Mexican tourists and a Nepali pilot, the company said.

The Manang Air chopper took off from Surke, close to Lukla in the Everest region at 10:04 am (0419 GMT), heading for the capital Kathmandu, but lost contact about 10 minutes later.

“Search efforts are underway. We have sent another helicopter to search,” Raju Neupane of Manang Air told AFP.

Nepal is notorious for its poor aviation safety, and the latest incident comes almost six months after a plane crash in western Nepal which killed all 72 people on board.

The Himalayan country has some of the world’s most remote and tricky runways, flanked by snow-capped peaks with approaches that pose a challenge even for accomplished pilots.

The weather can also change quickly in the mountains, creating treacherous flying conditions.

In addition, Nepal’s aviation sector has been plagued by poor safety due to insufficient training and maintenance.

The European Union has banned all Nepali carriers from its airspace over safety concerns.