A plane with 72 people on board has crashed near an airport in Pokhara, Nepal.
Jan 15, 2023 7:33 am
(updated at 7 p.m.)
Rescue workers inspect the plane crash site in Pokhara
Photo: Getty Images / BBC News Brazil
Dozens of people died after a plane carrying 72 people on board crashed near an airport in central Nepal, Asia, Sunday (12/12).
Yeti Airlines flight flew from Kathmandu to the resort town of Pokhara.
Videos posted on social media show a plane flying low over a populated area before making a sharp turn.
At least 68 people were confirmed dead as of early Sunday morning (Brasília time), according to official figures.
Seriously injured people survived the disaster and were hospitalized according to local reports, although this has yet to be confirmed by authorities.
The flight took off with 68 passengers on board (including 15 foreigners), in addition to four crew members.
Local resident Deeveta Kal described to the BBC how she rushed to the crash site after seeing the plane fall out of the sky late in the morning local time.
“When I arrived, the crash site was already crowded. A huge amount of smoke rose from the plane’s flames. And then the helicopters arrived quickly,” he said.
“The pilot did his best not to hit any houses,” added Deevta Kal. “There was a small gap next to the Seti River and the aircraft hit the ground in that small gap.”
Hundreds of Nepalese soldiers are involved in the operation at the crash site near the Seti River, just a kilometer and a half from the airport.
Video captured at the crash site shows thick black smoke and burning debris.
“We hope to recover more bodies,” an army spokesman told Portal news agency, saying the plane was “blown to bits.”
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal called an emergency cabinet meeting and urged government agencies to work on bailouts. An investigation into the cause of the accident was set up.
Of the passengers, 53 would be Nepalese. There were five Indians, four Russians and two Koreans on the plane. Among other things, there was also a passenger from Ireland, Australia, Argentina and France.
Plane crashes are not uncommon in Nepal, often due to the remote airstrips and sudden weather changes that can create dangerous conditions.
In May 2022, a Tara Air plane crashed in Mustang district in northern Nepal, killing 22 people.
In early 2018, 51 people died when a US Bangla flight from Dhaka, Bangladesh, caught fire on landing in Kathmandu.
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