Anju Khatiwada had trained as a pilot with the insurance money she received after the death of her spouse; She had more than 6,400 flight hours and knew the route where the accident occurred
PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP
Anju Khatiwada, the copilot of the plane she crashed into Nepal On Sunday 15th, she died in the same manner as her husband in 2006. In 2010, four years after losing her spouse, she followed in the footsteps of her beloved Yeti Airlines in Nepal the same company that Dipak Pokhrel worked . “She got pilot training with the insurance money she received after the death of her husband,” said airline spokesman Sudarshan Bartaula. “Her husband, Dipak Pokhrel, died in a Yeti Airlines Twin Otter plane crash in Joomla in 2006,” he added. Pokhrel died after the small plane he was piloting crashed just minutes before landing. Khatiwada’s remains have yet to be identified, but authorities have given up hope of finding any survivors. At least 70 people were killed in the accident, the deadliest in the Himalayan region in 30 years. There were 72 people on board the plane, including 68 passengers and four crew members.
Khatiwada had more than 6,400 flight hours and had already flown on the popular tourist route from the capital Kathmandu to the country’s secondlargest city, Pokhara, Sudarshan Bartaula airline said. This was the route taken on Sunday when the plane crashed. “On Sunday, she flew the plane with a flight instructor, which is airline practice,” said a Yeti Airlines official who knew Khatiwada personally. “She was always ready to take on any task and flew to Pokhara early,” said the official, who asked not to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media. Around 350 people have died in a plane or helicopter crash in Nepal since 2000. The place is home to eight of the 14 highest mountains in the world, one of which is Everest. Sudden weather changes can create hazardous flight conditions.
Anju Khatiwada, the copilot of the fatal plane crash in Nepal, had lost her husband, who was a pilot in another Yeti Airlines accident, 16 years ago.#NepalPlaneCrash #AnjuKhatiwada pic.twitter.com/6PyKbbP9ZP
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This Tuesday, the 17th, hospitals in Nepal began handing over the bodies of the victims of the plane crash to their families. According to Chhetri, eight bodies have already been handed over to the families and 14 are being autopsied in Pokhara. Another 48 will be transferred to Kathmandu for DNA testing and to be returned to their families. Since the accident, rescue teams have worked tirelessly to extricate the remains of the victims from between the wreckage of the plane, fuselage and burned seats at the base of the cliff some 300 meters deep. As of Tuesday, 70 of 72 bodies had been recovered, police officer AK Chhetri said. “We found a body last night. But there were three pieces. We’re not sure if there are three bodies or just one. This will later be confirmed with a DNA test,” he explained. “The search for the missing bodies has resumed. Today we mobilized four drones and extended the search radius from two to three kilometers,” he added. The cause of the accident is not yet known, but a video published on social networks showed how the plane made a sharp left turn on approach to the airfield, while a loud explosion was heard.
*With information from Portal and AFP