1 dead, 2 injured in helicopter crash near Mount Everest base camp

Two helicopters collided Tuesday while trying to land just below Mount Everest base camp, killing at least one person and injuring two others, officials said.

The plane was carrying hikers who were trekking to Everest Base Camp during Nepal’s popular trekking season. Heavy snow had covered the route before the weather improved on Sunday and thousands of hikers were able to move.

There are no roads on Everest and helicopters are the only way to shoot down hikers and guides who become ill or exhausted from the cold and altitude.

The helicopters crashed in the village of Pheriche, located at an altitude of 13,780 feet.

A 47-year-old Indian tourist was killed in the accident, according to Bhupendra Thapa, an administrative officer in Solukhumbhu district. Arrangements were being made to airlift the tourist’s remains to Kathmandu, Agence France-Presse reported.

A New Zealand passenger was injured and was being transported to the capital, Kathmandu, for treatment. A Nepalese pilot was injured but treated at the scene.

It was unclear how many people were on board the two helicopters.

The Mount Everest Base Camp trek lasts up to two weeks and goes from the only airstrip in the Lukla region to the base camp at 17,380 feet. The summit of Everest is over 29,000 feet above sea level. The trek is popular during the fall season, just after the rainy season and before the harsh winter months.

The helicopter collision is the second incident on the road to Everest Base Camp this week. Friday October. On December 30, a fire broke out at a hotel in Dingboche, known as a stopover for trekkers to take a break while they acclimatize to Everest’s high altitude.

The fire may have been started by the explosion of a cooking gas cylinder, local media reported. Hotel guests and staff were safely evacuated. No injuries or deaths were reported. Video obtained by CBS News shows the building in flames.

Dingboche is about 3 km from Pheriche. The two destinations are about a 40-minute walk from each other, according to trail guides.