At least 68 people were killed when a Nepal Airlines flight crashed in Pokhara, mere seconds before landing, according to the nation’s Civil Aviation Authority. Hundreds of emergency personnel were stationed on the hillside where the Yeti Airlines flight carrying 72 people crashed, which has been described as the country’s worst crash in nearly 5 years. The weather was clear, as said by Jagannath Niroula, a Civil Aviation Authority spokesman.
The Nepal Airlines plane crashed in a gorge while coming to land at a newly opened airport, which began operations two weeks ago. Reports of survivors were flowing, but other reports nullified the claim and said that there were no survivors discovered. The aircraft was a dual engine ATR-72 and had two infants, four crew members on board.
In addition to Nepalese citizens, there were 5 Indians, 4 Russians, 1 Irish, 2 South Koreans, 1 Australian, 1 French, and 1 Argentinian, for a total of 15 foreigners, according to an airport official. It was reported that the plane made contact with Seti Gorge before landing, then crashed, as said in an aviation authority statement.
Pokhara, 200 km (125 miles) west of Kathmandu, happens to be an immensely popular hiking trail in the vast, majestic Himalayas. Local television showed thick black smoke wafting from the crash site as both onlookers and rescuers gathered at the wreckage.
Nepal’s Yeti Airlines flight NYT691 crashes
The plane was burning so much that rescuers had difficulty reaching the gorge between the two hills near the tourist town airport. The crash is supposed to be Nepal’s deadliest since 2018, when a US-Bangla Dash 8 turboprop from Dhaka crashed in Kathmandu, killing 51 out of 71 people on the flight. The plane in question is 15 years old, a well-known, used dual engine plane produced by a joint venture between Airbus and Italy’s Leonardo, with Yeti airlines having six of the same model.
It is not uncommon for accidents like these to occur in Nepal, for eight of the highest mountains lie in the region. The climate conditions change in a flash, as has been noted, although the tourism sector has witnessed a boom in recent years, but poor safety concerns have plagued it.
The EU has banned Nepali airlines from its airspace since a decade for the same reasons. An emergency meeting was called in the cabinet by the PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal, for discussing the crash, a government statement said.
Also Read: Nepal Plane Crashes with 72 onboard: At least 67 dead
