KATHMANDU: A helicopter belonging to Manang Air, en route from Solukhumbu to Kathmandu, has gone missing after losing contact on Tuesday morning.

The helicopter –9N-AMV, which departed Surke Airport at 10:04 am for Kathmandu lost contact at an altitude above 12,000 feet shortly, according to Gyanendra Bhul, Manager at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA.

Basanta Bhattarai, Chief District Officer of Solukhumbu, said that the police have been deployed to search for the missing helicopter.

Police have been mobilized in the Lamajura area, he said.

Due to heavy fog, helicopter search is currently impossible.

The police are reaching the area using motorcycles and will continue on foot, he said.

On board were one Nepali national (probably the pilot)  and five Mexican nationals.