KATHMANDU: An Indian tourist was killed and a New Zealander and helicopter pilots were injured when two helicopters collided while landing at Pheriche in the Everest region on Tuesday morning, prompting Nepal's aviation regulator to launch an investigation.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) said the accident involving Air Dynasty's 9N-AOD and Fishtail Air's 9N-AJR occurred at 8:12am. The deceased was identified as Vasanth Kumar Balaramudu, around 47, from Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He was travelling aboard the Fishtail Air helicopter.

New Zealander Shailesh Kishan Patel and the helicopter pilots were injured and taken to Mediciti Hospital in Kathmandu for treatment. Fishtail Air later said the injured passenger and its captain were in stable condition and out of danger.

Air Dynasty confirmed that no personnel aboard its helicopter were killed or injured. The company said it was cooperating with local authorities and emergency services investigating the accident.

Both helicopters had reached Pheriche for operations in the Everest region. The Fishtail Air helicopter had flown from Gorakshep with Captain Rabindra Prajapati and two passengers on board, while the Air Dynasty helicopter, commanded by Captain Prajjwal KC, had arrived from Lukla carrying about 300kg of cargo, according to the earlier report.

CAAN and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation said investigations had begun to establish the cause of the collision. The regulator said further action and corrective measures would be based on the findings.

The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu expressed condolences over Balaramudu's death and said it was coordinating with Nepali authorities to arrange the early repatriation of his remains.

The collision occurred during the busy autumn trekking season, when helicopters are widely used for passenger transport, cargo delivery and emergency evacuations in the Everest region. The cause of the accident has not yet been established.