Nepal plane crash: Search and rescue operation underway
Pokhara:
The Nepal Army said on Monday that no one was rescued alive from the site of the plane crash in Pokhara city on Sunday.
Nepal Army spokesman Krishna Prasad Bhandari said, “We have not pulled out anyone alive from the crash site.”
A Yeti Airlines passenger plane plunged into a river gorge while landing at the newly opened airport in Pokhara, Nepal. 72 people, including five Indians aboard the plane, are feared dead.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has called an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers after the plane crash in Pokhara on Sunday.
The twin-engine turboprop ATR 72 aircraft crashed en route from Nepal’s capital Kathmandu to Pokhara. The Nepalese authorities have entrusted a special commission with the task of investigating the cause of the accident. The report is expected in 45 days.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief and prayed for the bereaved families of the Nepal plane crash.
PM Modi tweeted, “Deeply pained by the tragic air crash in Nepal in which precious lives were lost, including Indian citizens. In this hour of grief, my thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families.”
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also expressed grief over the incident and expressed condolences to the victims. “Deeply saddened to hear about the plane crash in Pokhara, Nepal. Our thoughts are with the affected families,” he tweeted.
In a statement released earlier on Sunday, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said there were 68 passengers on the flight, including five Indians, four Russians and one Irish national.