Plane with 72 people on board crashes in Nepal

Plane with 72 people on board crashes in Nepal

The plane was en route from the capital Kathmandu to Pokhara when it crashed with 72 people on board

Rescuers and onlookers gather at the site of a plane crash [Krishna Mani Baral/AFP]

At least 16 people have been killed after an aircraft carrying 72 people crashed in Nepal.

The plane was flying from the capital Kathmandu to Pokhara on Sunday when it crashed. Pokhara is a bustling tourist town about 200km (124 miles) west of Kathmandu.

There were 72 people on the twin-engine ATR 72 aircraft operated by Nepal’s Yeti Airlines, including two infants, four crew members and 10 foreign nationals, said airline spokesman Sudarshan Bartaula.

“We expect to recover more bodies,” army spokesman Krishna Bhandari told Reuters news agency.

“Responders have already reached there and trying to douse the fire. All agencies are now focused on first dousing the fire and rescuing the passengers,” local official Gurudutta Dhakal said.

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has called an emergency cabinet meeting after the plane crash, a government statement said.

“I am deeply saddened by the sad and tragic accident of Yeti Airlines ANC ATR 72 which was flying from Kathmandu to Pokhara with passengers,” he posted on Twitter.

“I sincerely appeal to the security personnel, all agencies of the Nepal government and the general public to start an effective rescue.”

In May, a plane owned by Tara Air crashed less than 20 minutes after taking off from Pokhara, headed to Jomsom – a popular trekking and pilgrimage destination in Mustang district bordering Tibet.

In 2018, a US-Bangla passenger plane from Bangladesh crashed on landing in Kathmandu, killing 49 of the 71 people on board.

(Via: Al-Jazeera)