Mountaineers from around the world and Nepal’s royal family were gathering in the capital Kathmandu today to join Sir Edmund Hillary in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest.

A helicopter that was flying to pick up climbers in the Mount Everest area crashed near the base camp today, killing a Nepalese flight attendant and injuring six other people.

A helicopter carrying members of Nepal's royal family has been reported missing over the Rara Lake in western Nepal.