Chopper crashes in Nepal

A helicopter with seven people on board crashed in a dense forest area in Nepal on Saturday.

The Altitude Air helicopter which had gone missing since this morning crash-landed in the forest area bordering Dhading and Nuwakot districts, according to eyewitnesses.

The wreckage of the ill-fated chopper piloted by senior captain Nishchal K C with six passengers, including a Japanese trekker, has been spotted by locals in a remote location in Nuwakot district, said Nima Nuru Sherpa, Managing Director at Altitude Air Pvt Ltd, the Himalayan Times reported.

Officials said the condition of the passengers is still not known.

The helicopter which took off for Kathmandu airlifting a patient along with other passengers from Samagaun in Gorkha had lost radio contact with Kathmandu tower after flying some 20 miles at around 8:10 am, a source at Tribhuvan International Airport said.

"Rescuers have been struggling hard to reach the accident site," Sherpa said. He added that the crashed chopper had not caught fire.

He said adverse weather conditions and difficult terrain have delayed the rescue effort.

A Nepal Army helicopter and a private chopper along with rescuers have been despatched to the crash site.