Nepal plane crash: At least 42 people were killed when a Nepalese passenger plane with 72 people onboard, crashed into a river gorge on Sunday while landing at the Pokhara airport. According to reports, as many as five Indians were also on the ill-fated Yeti Airlines plane. There were a total of 68 passengers and four crew members.
The Nepal Airport Authority said that out of 68 passengers, there were 53 Nepali, 5 Indians, 4 Russians, 2 Koreans, 1 Irish, 1 Argentinian, 1 Australian, and a French national on board. They further stated that there was a total of 15 foreigners including three children on the flight.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) said that Yeti Airlines' 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft took off from Kathmandu at 10:33 am. It further stated that the aircraft crashed on the bank of the Seti River while landing at the Pokhara airport.
The plane crashed into the Seti river gorge
According to Tek Bahadur KC, Chief District Officer of the Kaski district, the plane crashed into the Seti river gorge. Images and videos posted on social media platforms showed plumes of smoke billowing from the crash site.
Nepal's PM calls emergency meeting
Meanwhile, Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' called an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers following the crash.
He also expressed sadness over the crash and directed the Home Ministry, security personnel and all the government agencies to carry out immediate rescue and relief operations.
It should be noted here that Nepal has had a fraught record of aviation accidents, partly due to its sudden weather changes and airstrips located in hard-to-access rocky terrains.
(With inputs from agencies)
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