Nepal plane crash: Five Indians among 72 onboard

AT LEAST 40 DEAD IN Air Crash IN NEPAL

At least 40 people died today in Nepal after a plane carrying about 72 people from capital Kathmandu crashed in Pokhara this morning, several reports said. 16 bodies have so far been recovered from the wreckage, a Nepal Army spokesperson said. There were 68 passengers and four crew members on board the plane that crashed between the old and new airports in the city, located in western Nepal. The twin-engine ATR 72 aircraft operated by Yeti Airlines was en route from Nepal's capital Kathmandu.

"15 foreign nationals, including 2 infants were on board," Sudarshan Bartaula, spokesperson of Yeti Airlines, said. 53 Nepali, 5 Indian, 4 Russian, One Irish, 2 Koreans, 1 Argentinian, and a French national were on board, news agency ANI reported, quoting the airport authority.

Rescue operations have been difficult because of a raging fire at the wreckage, Nepali journalist Dilip Thapa told NDTV. Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has called an emergency cabinet meeting.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the aircraft took off from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport at 10:33 am.

The plane was close to landing at the Pokhara airport, when it crashed into a river gorge on the bank of the Seti River. The crash happened around 20 minutes after the take-off, suggesting the aircraft might have been on the descent. The flight time between the two cities is 25 minutes.

"We don't know right now if there are survivors," the airline's spokesperson Sudarshan Bartaula told news agency AFP.

The plane caught fire as it crashed, and rescue workers were trying to put it out, a local official was quoted as saying.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia condoled the loss of lives in the plane crash.

"The loss of lives in a tragic plane crash in Nepal is extremely unfortunate. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the bereaved. Om Shanti," he tweeted.

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Crowds gather at the crash site of an aircraft carrying 72 people in Pokhara in western Nepal January 15, 2023. Sagar Raj Timilsina/Handout via REUTERS

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COMENT 

Our condolences to the families of those who have died in this accident and our thoughts with the Nepalese community here in Portugal who may be affected by this tragedy.

#UPDATE | Aircraft crash at #Pokhara Airport in Nepal | 53 Nepali, 5 Indian, 4 Russian, One Irish, 2 Koreans, 1 Argentinian and a French national were on board: Airport authority😭😭.. Rest In Peace.🙏...Pained to hear about the news of a passenger plane crash near Nepal's Pokhara. 

My heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the tragic incident.😭😭.. 𝚁𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝙸𝚗 𝙿𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚎.🙏...𝙿𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚠𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚎 𝚌𝚛𝚊𝚜𝚑 𝚗𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝙽𝚎𝚙𝚊𝚕'𝚜 𝙿𝚘𝚔𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊. 

𝙼𝚢 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚏𝚎𝚕𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚌 𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝.😭😭.. Rest In Peace.🙏...Pained to hear about the news of a passenger plane crash near Nepal's Pokhara. 😭😭.. Rest In Peace.🙏...Pained to hear about the news of a passenger plane crash . ... 

Nepal plane crash: Five Indians among 72 onboard, 30 bodies recovered 

Five Indian nationals were onboard the plane that crashed in Nepal's Pokhara on Sunday, and at least 30 bodies have been recovered so far. 

According to the airport authorities, of the 72 passengers onboard including the crew members, 53 were Nepali citizens and five were Indian, four were Russian, two South Korean, one Irish, one each from Argentina, Australia and France. 

The airport authorities said that they are still looking for survivors. 

Chief District Officer, Tek Bahadur KC of Kaski district confirmed that dead bodies of 30 passengers have been recovered so far. 

An ATR 72 aircraft that flew to Pokhara from Kathmandu crashed between the old airport and the Pokhara International Airport, Sudarshan Bartaula, spokesperson of Yeti Airlines, said.

Images and videos posted on social media platforms showed plumes of smoke billowing from the crash site. (IANS)

𝐍𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝟕𝟐 𝐎𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬, 𝟑𝟓 𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝, 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝

A plane carrying about 72 people from Kathmandu crashed in Nepal's Pokhara this morning, Yeti Airlines said. Nepali media reported at least 35 dead bodies have been recovered from the wreckage. There were 68 passengers, including 10 foreigners and four crew members on board the plane that crashed between the old and new airports in the city, located in western Nepal.

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