Tragic Helicopter Crash Claims Lives of Five Mexican Tourists in Nepal
On Tuesday morning, the Manang Air helicopter 9N-AMV took off from Surke Airport in Solukhumbu district, intending to return to Kathmandu. Tragically, the helicopter lost contact at an altitude above 12,000 feet and crashed in the Lamjura area of Likhupike Rural Municipality in the remote mountainous Solukhumbu district.
The deceased pilot, Captain CB Gurung, was identified as a Nepali national. The victims of the crash, all Mexican citizens, were named as Fernando Sifuentes (95), Abril Sifuentes Gonzalez (72), Luz Gonzalez Olacio (65), Maria Jose Sifuentes (52), and Ismael Rincon (98).
Prior to their visit to Nepal, the Mexican family had also explored India. Abril Sifuentes Gonzalez, one of the victims, shared a photo of herself in front of the Taj Mahal on a social media platform just days before the tragic accident.
Mexican Ambassador to India, Federico Salas, confirmed that the victims were a family from Nuevo Leon. "It was a family of five people, in effect, who were tourists. They went to Nepal. They were a father and mother and three children. The parents and children were adults; they were not little ones," Salas stated, as reported by Infobae Mexico.
The bodies of the victims have been transported to Kathmandu and are currently at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital for post-mortem examinations, according to Gyanendra Bhul, Information Officer at the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), as cited by The Himalayan Times.
Addressing the media in Janakpurdham, Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Sudan Kirati, expressed the government's commitment to conducting a thorough investigation to determine the causes behind this unfortunate incident.
Mukti Pandey, Director of Manang Air, shared that "all the passengers who died were from the same Mexican family and had flown to the Khumbu region yesterday for a mountain flight as well as to observe Sherpa culture."
Notably, Nepal's tourist and mountaineering season concludes in May, and during this period, flights to the mountains become less frequent due to poor visibility and unpredictable weather conditions.
Established in 1997, Manang Air is a Kathmandu-based helicopter airline that operates within Nepal under the regulations of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. The company specializes in personalized services such as adventure flights, helicopter excursions, and expedition support.
Nepal has experienced a number of aviation accidents due to its challenging weather changes and the presence of airstrips situated in hard-to-access rocky terrains. According to the records of CAAN, there have been 35 fatal helicopter crashes in Nepal to date.
Unfortunately, in 2023 alone, four helicopter accidents have been reported in the country.