Monday's deadly plane crash at Kathmandu airport has left 49 out of 71 people on board dead, while 22 others have suffered injuries, Nepal officials said on Tuesday.
The plane coming from Bangladesh swerved erratically and flew dangerously low before crashing and erupting in flames Monday. US-Bangla Airlines flight BS211 from Dhaka to Kathmandu was carrying 67 passengers and four crew members.
Police spokesman Manoj Neupane said Tuesday that 49 people were confirmed to have been killed and 22 injured. They were being treated in several hospitals in Nepal’s capital.
The government has ordered an investigation to find the cause of the crash. A statement from the prime minister’s office said a six-member investigative team headed by a former government secretary will gather the facts to determine the cause and prevent future crashes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the plane crash and prayed for early recovery of the injured.
Deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to the plane crash in Kathmandu. My thoughts are with the families of the deceased and I pray that those injured recover at the earliest, he said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj spoke to her Bangladeshi counterpart Abul Hassan Mahmud Ali and expressed deepest condolences over the loss of lives in the crash and offered all assistance.
"EAM @SushmaSwaraj spoke to Bangladesh Foreign Minister & expressed deepest condolences & sympathies for the loss of lives in the crash of US-Bangla Airlines in Kathmandu today. EAM offered any assistance required in Kathmandu, and shared thoughts and prayers for those injured," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.
(With inputs from PTI, AP)
