Irish team escapes Everest helicopter crash

THE Irish Mount Everest expedition team had a miraculous escape when a helicopter crashed on the mountain yesterday, killing one crewman and three climbers on the ground.

Members of the team were meant to leave the mountain on that flight but had already been airlifted on Tuesday at the insistence of expedition leader Pat Falvey.

All expedition members, along with their support team, are safe and well in their hotel in the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu.

The tragedy occurred on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the first conquest of Everest. The helicopter was picking up climbers from the Everest base camp when it smashed into the side of the mountain. Three people on the ground were killed and at least six were injured.

The helicopter was the same one used three days ago to take some of the Irish climbers and members of their support team off the mountain.

"I didn't know it at the time but they had weight problems and decided not to take all of us at the same time. They made four of the team get off," Mr Falvey said yesterday from Kathmandu.

The pilot then wanted those he had left behind two team supporters, climber Hannah Shields and summiter Ger McDonnell to wait until yesterday, but Mr Falvey was adamant they be airlifted on Tuesday.

The helicopter crash threatened to mar celebrations today to mark the anniversary of the first successful summit attempt.

BBC reporter Tom Heap who witnessed the tragedy, described it as a scene of utter devastation.

"It was a truly horrific sight. We went over and the chopper itself was keeled over in a glacial stream.

"There were people trapped underneath, some alive and some dead."

More than 175 climbers have died trying to conquer Everest, at 29,035 feet the tallest peak in the world.

They were remembered yesterday by mountaineers and locals who planted saplings at the International Mountaineers Memorial Park in Kakani town.

Edmund Hillary, 83, who was the first to climb Everest with his Sherpa guide, the late Tenzing Norgay, on May 29, 1953, is to open an Everest photo exhibit today and to speak about what his feat means to Nepal and the world.