No fewer than six people have been killed in a helicopter crash near Mount Everest after returning from a sightseeing tour.

The helicopter came down on Tuesday morning near Likhu – just north of Nepal’s capital Kathmandu.

Five Mexican tourists and their Nepalese pilot died, according to Kathmandu airport official Teknath Sitoula.

Authorities said the victims had already been recovered.

The helicopter was operated by Manang Air, which runs tourist flights, search and rescue operations and expedition flights to Mount Everest.

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The company spokesperson said: “The helicopter took off… in good weather.

“The weather was not bad. Now we can’t say what caused the crash. It will have to be investigated.”

Another airport official, Sagar Kadel, said the weather had forced the helicopter to change its route.

Tourist flights are less common this time of year as the monsoon season – which begins in June – can mean poor visibility and unpredictable conditions.

Nepal’s mountainous territory makes it a notoriously difficult place to fly and it has a history of air crashes.

Its worst air crash in 30 years happened in January when 71 people died in a crash near the tourist city of Pokhara.

Manang Air operates two Airbus AS 350 B3e aircraft, according to its Facebook page.

The Star