Russian killed in Nepal chopper crash

NepalKathmandu, Nov 15 : A Russian was killed and five people injured when a helicopter crashed in a mountainous district in northern Nepal Sunday.

The Russian flight engineer was identified as D. Satalo, police said.

An MI-8 helicopter run by a Nepali domestic airline, Manang Air, was heading towards Humla district from Surkhet in midwestern Nepal when it crashed 40 minutes after takeoff.

The chopper, flying goods, hit a tree at the Rudikot helipad in Humla, the first reports by police said.

It was carrying two passengers and four crew members.

The flight officer, Raju Bhandari, was said to be seriously injured.

Police said the crash occurred in a remote place with no motorable roads. It takes nearly two days trek to reach there from Simikot, the main town in Humla.

A rescue helicopter later reached the crash site and lifted the injured to the Kohalpur Medical College for treatment, police said.