Indian killed as two helicopters collide during landing in Nepal’s Everest region

An Indian tourist was killed and a New Zealand national injured when two helicopters collided and crashed while attempting to land in Nepal's Everest region on Tuesday, police told AFP. 

Small helicopters are widely used in the Himalayan nation to transport tourists, climbers and supplies, as well as to carry out emergency evacuations.

The country's challenging terrain and rapidly changing weather conditions make aviation operations particularly hazardous.

The small helicopters operated by Fishtail Air and Air Dynasty crashed into each other as both came into land on a snowy site in Solukhumbu district on Tuesday morning.

"The 47-year-old Indian tourist died on the spot," Nabin Raja Budhathoki, in charge of Solukhumbu District Police, told AFP.

"The injured 53-year-old citizen... from New Zealand has been airlifted to Kathmandu for further treatment," he added.

Arrangements were also being made to airlift the body of the deceased to the capital Kathmandu.

Both of the pilots survived the accident.

Nepal is home to eight of the world's 14 highest mountains, including Everest, and attracts thousands of foreign climbers and trekkers every year.