A Mustang Air helicopter carrying five people, including the captain, has gone missing while flying from Kathmandu to Lapcha in Dolakha.

The helicopter, with registration number 9N-ANO, departed Kathmandu at approximately 10:25 AM today but lost contact shortly after taking off, according to a Deputy Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN). The aircraft was reportedly scheduled to land in Lapcha, Dolakha, when communication was lost just minutes after departure.

 

Preliminary information confirms that Captain Suraj Thapa Kshetri was onboard along with four other passengers. Official authorities have not yet verified the current status of the helicopter.

Search and rescue operations are being prepared by relevant agencies. Military personnel from Dolakha have already been dispatched to the suspected crash site. Heavy rainfall in the Dolakha region is posing challenges to accessing possible locations. Further details are awaited as the situation develops.