An aircraft with 68 passengers and four crew members on board crashed in Nepal’s Pokhara on January 15, 2023.
As per Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority, a total of 68 passengers, on board the ATR-72 Yeti Airlines flight which crashed somewhere between the old airport of Pokhara region and the Pokhara International Airport, were dead.
The plane, a 72-seater passenger aircraft, reportedly crashed on the runway at Pokhara Airport in Nepal while landing. The airport is closed for the time being and rescue operations are underway. Kathmandu Post quoted a spokesperson of Yeti Airlines Sudarshan Bartaula as saying that the ATR 72 Yeti airlines aircraft crashed between the old airport and the Pokhara International Airport.
This flight carried 68 passengers including five Indians and four crew members, which is 72 in total. The Kathmandu-Pokhara flight had 68 passengers, including five Indians, as well as four crew members.
In the notice issued by Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority, the incident took place around 11 am.
It further reads, “On 15 Jan 2023, Sunday from Kathmandu at 10:32 am local time for Pokhara, Nepalese 53 foreigners, 5 Indians, 4 Russians, 1 Irish… NYT 691, 9N-ANC plane came into contact with Pokhara Tower at 10:50 am at Neet Beach, and after that, the plane crashed, 9NALX and 9NANA helicopters were mobilized for rescue from Pokhara and Kathmandu and Pokhara airports for search and rescue.”
” Nepali Army, Police Force, Airport Rescue, and Fire Fighting, and Nepal Police will be informed about the rescue operation. Total number 72 including crew female 25 male 30, standard, white. So far, the death toll is 68,” it added.
The embassy further informed that it was in contact with the local authorities. “We are deeply saddened by the crash of a plane carrying 72 passengers and crew members, including some Indians in Pokhara. We express our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased. Our thoughts and prayers at this time are with all those affected by this tragedy,” Shankar P Sharma, the Indian ambassador to Nepal, tweeted.
Meanwhile, the Nepal government called an emergency meeting of the airport authorities in light of the plane crash.
Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, aka Prachanda, directed the Home Ministry, security personnel and all the government agencies to carry out immediate rescue and relief operations.
Images and videos of the crash posted on social media platforms showed plumes of smoke billowing out of the crash site.
(With Inputs from ANI)
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