A Nepalese military spokesman said that 40 people have died in the Nepal plane crash today (15). Hundreds of Nepalese rescue workers were inspecting the site where the mountain collapsed. Krishna Bhandari, a spokesman for rescue workers, said more bodies were expected to be found. Also, the plane has been broken into pieces.
Yeti Airlines spokesman Sudarshan Bertaula said there were 72 passengers with 68 aircraft and 4 crew members. Accordingly, the foreign nationals on board included: one Australian, one French, one Argentine, four Russians, five Indians, two South Koreans and one person from Ireland.
No survivors have been reported, according to Bertaula. The plane crashed between the old and new Pokhara airports in central Nepal. The debris is on fire and rescue workers are trying to put out the fire, said local official Gurudutta Dhakal.
“Respondents are already there trying to put out the fire,” Dhakal said. “All agencies are now focused on first putting out the fire and rescuing the passengers.”
The twin-engine ATR 72 aircraft was operated by Yeti Airlines and was flying from the Himalayan country’s capital, Kathmandu, an airport official said. After the news of the accident, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal called an emergency cabinet meeting.
Nepal’s aviation industry has grown rapidly in recent years, carrying goods and people between hard-to-reach areas as well as foreign trekkers and mountaineers.
But it suffers from poor security due to lack of adequate training and maintenance. The European Union has banned all Nepalese aircraft from intercepting its airspace.
The Himalayan country also has some of the world’s most remote and tricky runways, surrounded by snow-capped mountain peaks with approaches that challenge even skilled pilots.
Aircraft operators say Nepal lacks the infrastructure for accurate weather forecasting, especially in remote areas with challenging mountainous terrain where fatal accidents have occurred in the past.
Mountain weather can also change quickly, creating different flying conditions.
Reuters and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report
History of air accidents in Nepal
May 2022 : A Tara flight from Thane with 22 people on board, including four Indians, crashed in Nepal’s mountainous Mustang district on Sunday, May 29. Three days later, on Tuesday, the bodies of all the people on board were recovered. The Nepali government’s investigation report concluded that bad weather may have contributed to the incident.
February 2019: An Air Dynasty helicopter crashed into a mountain while trying to return to Kathmandu in cloudy weather. Nepal’s Tourism Minister Rabindra Adhikari is among the seven passengers who died in the incident. The initial report of the investigation said operational procedures such as weight imbalance were violated due to fuel tank placement and incorrect passenger seating arrangements.
March 2018: On March 12, 2018, a US-Bangla Airlines flight carrying 67 passengers and four crew members crashed at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport, killing 49 people. The flight returning from Dhaka skidded off the runway on landing, caught fire, crashed into a football field near the airport and then exploded. A commission of inquiry concluded that the pilot’s misdirection may have been the cause of the accident.
February 2016: An Air Kasthamandap flight with 11 people on board crashes in Nepal’s Kalikot district. Two crew members were killed and all nine passengers were injured in the incident.
May 2015: A US Navy squadron crashes in the nation’s Charikot region, killing all 8 on board. A UH-1Y Huey carrying six US Marines and two Nepali soldiers went missing during a mission to provide aid to victims of two earthquakes.
May 2012: Thirteen Indian pilgrims were among the 15 people killed in May 2012 when a Donair plane with 21 people on board attempted to land at a high-altitude airstrip on a mountain in northern Nepal. The plane was flying from Pokhara Airport to Jomsom Airport.
September 2011: A Beechcraft 1900D operated by Buddha Air crashes into a mountain carrying tourists on a sightseeing tour around Mount Everest. All 19 people on board, including 10 Indians, died. Adverse weather conditions contributed to the accident, with the Kathmandu airport and surrounding area covered by thick monsoon clouds at the time of the crash.
September 2006: A Sri Air helicopter crashes on a charter flight in eastern Nepal, killing all 24 passengers and crew. The helicopter was a WWF expedition returning from a conservation event.
June 2006: A Yeti plane with six passengers, including crew members, crashes.
November 2001: A chartered helicopter crashes in western Nepal. Princess Prekshya Shah of Nepal was among the six who died in the incident.
July 2000: A Twin Otter aircraft operated by Royal Nepal Airlines crashed while en route to Dhanghadhi Airport. 22 passengers and three crew members died in the accident.
July 1993: A Donair aircraft operated by Everest Air crashed near the Chule Gopte Mountains near Nepal. All three crew and 16 passengers died.
September 1992: An Airbus A300 operated by Pakistan International Airlines crashes on landing at Kathmandu airport, killing all 167 on board. The plane was coming from Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport when it hit the last hill about 11 km before Kathmandu airport.
July 1992: An Airbus 310 operated by Thai Airways crashes in Kathmandu, killing all 99 passengers and 14 crew. The plane crashed into a mountain 37 km north of Kathmandu during heavy monsoon rains. According to the investigation, there was a minor defect in the plane’s flap and the pilot was under severe stress due to miscommunication with the air traffic controller in bad weather conditions.
July 1969: A plane operated by Royal Nepal Airlines crashed while en route to Sinara Airport, killing 31 passengers and four crew members.