Kathmandu, Sep 25: Ten Indians were among 19 people killed today when a small plane carrying them crashed and broke into pieces at Kotdanda hills in Lalitpur district near the Nepalese capital while returning from a mountain flight. The Beach Aircraft (BHA 103), which crashed at 7.30 am local time, belonged to the private Buddha Air airline, according to Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).
All 19 people aboard the plane, including 10 Indians, were killed in the crash, officials said.Among those killed was a Nepalese passenger, who succumbed to his wounds in hospital, after being rescued from the crash site located 20 km east of the capital. Apart from 10 Indians, the plane had three other foreigners, whose identities were yet to be established, three Nepalese passengers and a three-member crew aboard, according to the Rescue Coordination Centre, Tribhuvan International Airport, under the CAAN.
The aircraft, which had taken tourists to view Mount Everest and other high peaks, crashed and broke into pieces at Kotdanda hills in Lalitpur district when it was returning to Kathmandu.
The Indian nationals killed in the crash were identified as Pankaj Mehta, Chhaya Mehta, H D Nagraja, S Nagraja, I Nagraja, L Nagaraja, D Talosubrisum, D P Talosubrisum, Nagraja Talosubrisum and P Talosubrisum.
A helicopter, which was sent from Kathmandu to the crash site for a rescue operation, could not land due to bad weather, but local police and people had managed to reach there. PTI
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