Six people, including 5 Mexican nationals, have died in a helicopter crash in Nepal

A helicopter with six people, including five Mexican nationals, has gone missing in Nepal, a government official said on Tuesday.
There were five Mexicans and a Nepali pilot on board, Kathmandu airport official Teknath Sitoula told Reuters.
The chopper was coming from Surke in Solukhunvhu district, home to Mount Everest and other high mountain peaks. It went missing near a place called Likkhu, Sitoula said.
“We have rushed another helicopter on a search mission,” he said.
The helicopter was operated by Manang Air, Sitoula said.

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.

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