(CNN)Authorities in Nepal are launching a crackdown after it emerged trekking and mountaineering agencies were defrauding insurance companies for millions of dollars by charging them for unnecessary helicopter evacuations from Everest and other mountains in the Himalayas.
According to Ghanashyam Upadhyaya, a spokesman for the Nepal Tourism and Civil Aviation Ministry, the authorities are taking action against 15 companies -- including tour agencies, hospitals and helicopter businesses -- for their involvement in fraudulent activities.