Nepal bans 'non-essential' helicopter flights after deadly crash

Following a deadly crash which claimed the lives of six people, Nepal's aviation regulator has banned helicopters from conducting "non-essential" flights for two months, reports NDTV.

Five Mexican tourists and the Nepali pilot of a small helicopter operated by the private Manang Air company met their demise on Tuesday when their chopper crashed while returning from viewing Himalayan peaks, including Mount Everest.

"Non-essential flights like mountain flights, external load operations (sling flights) and showering of flowers by helicopters (will) be restricted till September," the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) said in a Twitter post late on Wednesday.

The country's authorities have formed an investigation committee to find out what caused Tuesday's crash.

Nepal is home to eight of the world's 14 tallest mountain peaks including Mount Everest, and has a history of air crashes, as many airlines fly to small airports in remote hills and near peaks often shrouded in clouds.

The country's worst air crash in 30 years killed 71 people in January this year, when a plane went down near the tourist city of Pokhara.

/KN/