The chopper was en route to Kathmandu (Representative Image/AP)
The helicopter with the call sign 9NMV got off the radar at 10:12 am on Tuesday
A private commercial helicopter with six people on board went missing near the Mount Everest area in Nepal on Tuesday. There were reportedly five Mexican nationals on the missing chopper that was on its way to Kathmandu.
“The chopper was en route to Kathmandu from Solukhumbu and got disconnected with the control tower at around 10 in the morning,” Information Officer Gyanendra Bhul.
The helicopter with the call sign 9NMV got off the radar at 10:12 am (Local Time).
“Altitude Air helicopter departed from Kathmandu for search and rescue,” tweeted the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.
The passengers aboard the helicopter are reported to be five Mexican nationals, whose identities have yet to be disclosed and pilot senior captain Chet B Gurung, the Himalayan Times newspaper reported.
“It has been reported that the helicopter of Manang Air is out of contact, there is no contact with the tower, when it reached the Lamjura pass, it was reported that the helicopter only received a ‘hello’ message on Viber, the search is underway,” TIA spokesperson Teknath Sitaula told My Republica news website.
Founded in 1997, Manang Air is a helicopter airline based in Kathmandu. It has been operating helicopters in commercial air transportation within the Nepalese territory under the Regulation of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.
The company provides chartered services and is focused on personalised services such as adventure flights helicopter excursions or expedition work.
(With ANI and PTI Inputs)