A Yeti Airlines passenger plane crashed into the river gorge while its landing at the recently opened airport in Nepal’s Pokhara. It is said to be the worst crash that has occurred in the small Himalayan nation in the last three decades. Officials stated that they had received the remains of 68 people who were on board the 72-seater passenger aircraft. “We did not rescue anyone alive from the crash site,” said Krishna Prasad Bhandari, Nepal Army’s Spokesperson. The plane was carrying 68 passengers out of which 15 were foreign nationals, and four were crew members. The foreigners included five Indians, four Russians, two South Koreans and one each from Australia, Ireland, France and Argentina. 

Out of the five Indians, four were from the Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh and had gone to Nepal on January 13 on vacation. One of them was possibly live on Facebook seconds before the crash. Following that a 1-minute 37-second video went viral late on Sunday in which a man could be seen holding the phone and pointing the camera out from a window showing an approach. Meanwhile, Yeti Airlines cancelled all the regular flights on Monday to mourn the passengers who lost lives in the plane crash. 

“Saddened by the tragic air crash in Nepal in which precious lives have been lost, including Indian nationals. In this hour of grief, my thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed pain and prayed for the deprived families of the people who lost life in the Nepal plane crash through Twitter. 

The accident investigation team was established by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, and it is anticipated to submit its report in 45 days. BEA, France’s aviation accident investigation agency, announced that it would collaborate with all other parties and take part in the investigation into the crash’s causes. The European Union, however, has prohibited Nepali aircraft from using its airspace since 2013, citing safety concerns, due to the country’s history of aviation disasters. 

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