Tragic last pic of family-of-five killed in helicopter crash near Mount Everest as chopper plunged just mins into flight | The Sun
A FAMILY of five tourists killed in a horror helicopter crash near Mount Everest have been pictured.
The chopper went off radar just moments after taking off from the mountainous Solukhumbu district in Nepal on Tuesday morning.
The bodies of Ismael Sifuentes, Luz Gonzalez and their three adult children, Abril, Maria Jose and Fernando – all said to be in their 20s – were recovered near the town of Lukla.
It's understood the family – from the Mexican state Nuevo Leon – wanted to see Everest from the air.
But their chopper ride to the 29,028ft peak – the highest point on Earth – crashed at 11,500ft.
Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority said contact with the Manang Air flight was lost just eight minutes after takeoff.
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Search teams in the skies and on the ground frantically combed the area for the stricken aircraft, and discovered the wreckage.
The body of Nepalese guide and pilot Chet Gurung was also recovered at the crash site north of Kathmandu.
Now heartbreaking photos have emerged of the tragic family, including a final image showing them in front of a snowy landscape.
In a second photo, they seem to be in what could be an ancient doorway or temple with a mountain range behind them.
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It is currently unclear what caused the horror crash but, the Nepalese police have indicated that weather conditions were poor.
Two search and rescue helicopters were sent to the crash site but were unable to land due to poor weather.
Tiwari said: "The teams on the ground brought the bodies to the helicopters which were able to land close by."
Lhakpa Sherpa – who took part in the search – said the scene was "very scary".
He said the helicopter had apparently hit a tree before smashing into the ground.
The Mexican Embassy is understood to be coordinating the repatriation of the victims' bodies to Mexico.
Tourist flights to the mountains are less common this time of year as visibility is poor and weather conditions become unpredictable.
An investigation into what caused the crash is ongoing.
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