Helicopter crash in Nepal kills seven

The chopper was en route to Kathmandu when it went down in Nuwakot district. Photo / Supplied

A helicopter has crashed in central Nepal, killing all seven people on board, including a mother and her newborn baby.

The chopper was en route to Kathmandu when it went down in Nuwakot district.

The Civil Aviation Authority said the wreckage had been located and efforts were on to retrieve the bodies.

The chopper was carrying the mother and infant, who were being brought to Kathmandu for treatment, according to flight operator Fishtail Air.

Initial reports had stated that there were only six passengers on the plane and that the woman was pregnant, not a new mother.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear. Villagers reported seeing plumes of smoke from the site.

Air accidents are common in Nepal, where pilots must navigate difficult mountainous terrain.

Last week, a single-engine cargo plane crash-landed in a river in the mountains of central Nepal. The pilots swam to safety as the plane was swept away.

- AAP