Nepal charges 32 over fake helicopter rescue scam

Investigators said guides sometimes sickened travellers -- including by mixing baking soda into their food or serving contaminated meals -- to justify helicopter evacuations. - The Kathmandu Post/ANN

KATHMANDU: Nepal has charged 32 people over a multi-million-dollar insurance scam involving fake helicopter rescues of trekkers, police said Thursday (April 2), a long-running racket that has cast a shadow over the country's vital tourism industry.

The Himalayan nation attracts thousands of trekkers each year, many walking remote high-altitude trails where emergency airlifts are common and often costly.