5 Indians among 72 aboard Nepal plane that crashed; 40 bodies recovered

At least 40 people were killed when a passenger aircraft of domestic carrier Yeti Airlines crashed in Nepal’s Pokhara, an army spokesperson said, as per news agency Reuters.

“We expect to recover more bodies. The plane has broken into pieces,” ,” Krishna Bhandari said. There were 72 people on aircraft including two infants, four crew members and some foreign nationals, airline spokesman Sudarshan Bartaula said.

Here are ten points on the Nepal plane crash:

1. The plane had 5 Indians, 4 Russian, 1 Irish and two South Korean nationals onboard when it crash, Nepal airport official said, as per news agency Reuters.

2. Rescue operations continued at the crash site local media reported thick black smoke could be seen billowing from the crash site in videos widely shared on social media.

3. Rescue workers and crowds of people gathered around the wreckage of the aircraft which was 15 years old, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

4. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), Yeti Airlines’ 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft took off from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport at 10:33 am.

5. Pokhara is a major tourist destination in Nepal.

6. The plane crashed on the bank of the Seti river between the old and the new airport while landing, local media reported.

7. According to Tek Bahadur KC, Chief District Officer of the Kaski district, the plane crashed into the Seti river gorge.

8. Nepal prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ called an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers following the crash.

9. He also expressed sadness over the crash and directed the Home Ministry, security personnel and all the government agencies to carry out immediate rescue and relief operations.

10. The last major air accident in Nepal happened last year on May 29 when all 22 people onboard were killed as a Tara Air plane crashed in Nepal’s Mustang district.