Kathmandu: At least 32 people were killed when a Nepalese passenger plane crashed into a river valley on Sunday while landing at Pokhara airport. There were 72 people including 10 foreign nationals on board the plane.The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) said that the 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft of Yeti Airlines had taken off from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu at 10.33 am. Pokhara is a famous tourist destination in this Himalayan country.
There was also an Indian national on board the aircraft:
According to the ‘Republica’ newspaper, while landing at Pokhara airport, the plane crashed on the banks of the Seti river between the old airport and the new airport. There were 68 passengers and four crew members on board the aircraft. Official Nepal Television reported that 10 foreigners were also among the passengers. It is not yet known whether any Indian citizen was also on board the plane.
According to the news of The Himalayan Times newspaper, at least 32 bodies have been recovered from the crash site. The newspaper quoted Tek Bahadur KC, Chief District Officer of Kaski district, as saying that the plane crashed in the Seti river valley and rescue operations are still underway.
Smoke is seen rising from the crash site:
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has called an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers after the accident. He expressed grief over the accident and directed the Ministry of Home Affairs, security personnel and all government agencies to carry out rescue and relief operations immediately. Pictures and videos posted on social media showed smoke rising from the crash site.
Nepal has a very poor record of plane accidents due to the sudden change of weather and airstrips built in inaccessible places. The last major air crash in the country was on May 29 last year when a Tara Air plane crashed in the mountainous Mustang district, killing all 22 people on board, including four members of an Indian family.
