11 July 2023: The helicopter operated by Manang Air, which flew from Lukla to Kathmandu, is currently out of contact. The helicopter carries five foreign nationals, while the pilot is Nepali.
The rural municipality vice-chairman of Namaste Rural Municipality Ward No. 5, Lamajura, confirmed that the Manang Air helicopter accident occurred in Solukhumbu. He mentioned that the condition of the passengers and the crew members involved in the accident is unknown. On Tuesday morning, at around 10:00 am, the Manang Air helicopter that took off from Lukla for Kathmandu had lost contact for some time. According to Tribhuvan International Airport spokesperson Teknath Sitaula, the aircraft departed from Lukla at 10:00 am in the morning and lost contact around 10:15 am.
The local residents of Dudhkunda-2 in Lamajura, Solukhumbu, informed the police that they saw the Manang Air aircraft for some time. The Superintendent of Police of Koshi, Mr. Rajesh Nath Bhattarai, stated that based on the information provided by the locals, the police have dispatched a team to the possible incident site.
After the Manang Air helicopter lost contact while en route from Lukla to Kathmandu at 10:05 am in the morning, another helicopter has been dispatched for the search operation, according to Tribhuvan International Airport spokesperson Teknath Sitaula.
There were five tourists and crew members aboard the Manang Air helicopter.
Furthermore, the Altitude Air helicopter has been sent from Kathmandu to search for the missing Manang Air helicopter.
“The helicopter scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu at 11:00 am is still out of contact.
