On Sunday, an ATR-72 passenger plane crashed carrying 72 people in Nepal’s Pokhara caused 67 people dead. The plane was flying from Kathmandu to Pokhara where 68 passengers and four crew members were on board. It crashed on the bank of the Seti River between the old airport and the new airport in western Nepal a few kilometers from its destination about 20 minutes after it took off from Kathmandu for Pokhara.
The airlines stated that there were 15 foreign nationals on board, including six children. The plane carried 53 Nepalis, 5 Indians, 4 Russians, 2 Koreans, 1 Argentinian, and one each from Ireland, Australia, and France.
The Nepal Civil Aviation Authority said that the weather was clear. While Nepal has a history of plane crashes due to the country’s rugged mountain terrain and unpredictable weather, a Nepal civil aviation authority spokesperson told Reuters that the “weather was clear” when a Yeti Airlines flight crashed in Pokhara.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), Yeti Airlines’ 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft took off from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport at 10:33 am. According to the flight tracking website FlightRadar24, the plane was 15 years old.
The ATR72 is a popular twin-engine turboprop plane produced by an Airbus-Leonardo joint venture. According to its website, Yeti Airlines operates six ATR 72-500 planes.
Pokhara Airport in Nepal was inaugurated two weeks ago with Chinese assistance
The Pokhara International Airport, where the fatal crash occurred, was inaugurated two weeks ago by Nepal’s newly appointed Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and was built with Chinese assistance.
The airport, which was built against the backdrop of the pristine Annapurna Mountain Range, was officially opened on January 1, 2023. The flagship project was a component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
According to the Kathmandu Post newspaper, the Nepal government signed a $215.96 million soft loan agreement with China in March 2016 for the construction of the airport in this tourist destination.
Nepal govt forms 5-member inquiry commission to investigate the plane crash
Nepal’s government has formed a five-member inquiry commission to investigate the Yeti Airlines plane crash.
According to the news agency PTI, the Nepal government formed a five-member commission of inquiry on Sunday to investigate the Yeti Airlines plane crash, which killed at least 40 people.
Nepal govt announces one-day state mourning in wake of Nepal plane crash
Nepal’s government has declared a day of national mourning in the aftermath of the Nepal plane crash. The Nepalese government has declared a day of national mourning on Monday in the aftermath of an aircraft crash at Pokhara airport that killed at least 40 people, according to news agency ANI.
Series of crashes in Nepal
Since 2000, at least 309 people have died in plane or helicopter crashes in Nepal, which is home to eight of the world’s fourteen highest mountains, including Everest, and where sudden weather changes can create hazardous conditions.
Since 2013, the European Union has barred Nepali airlines from using its airspace, citing safety concerns. According to airline spokesman Sudarshan Bartaula, those aboard the twin-engine ATR 72 aircraft included two infants and four crew members.
The journey from Kathmandu to Pokhara, Nepal’s second largest city nestled beneath the picturesque Annapurna mountain range, is one of the Himalayan country’s most popular tourist routes, with many preferring a short flight over a six-hour drive through hilly roads.
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