Yeti Airlines ATR 72 With 72 Occupants Crashes In Nepal
A Yeti Airlines ATR 72 crashed in Pokhara, Nepal, while en route from Kathmandu today. A total of 72 people were on board the plane, and ground workers are continuing to recover bodies from the crash site.
Fatal incident
The aircraft was carrying 68 passengers and four crew members. Videos of the incident show the plane flying low before starting to spin. Officials have now confirmed at least 68 fatalities following the tragic accident. However, this figure continues to rise.
Of the 68 passengers, 53 were Nepali citizens, along with the four crew members. Five Indian, four Russian, and two South Korean passengers were also on board. There were also individual citizens from Australia, Argentina, France and Ireland on the aircraft.
🚨 | A Yeti Airlines ATR 72-500 has crashed in Pokhara, central Nepal. The aircraft was carrying 68 passengers and 4 crew members at the time of the incident. pic.twitter.com/mst0zEemEA
— Air Crash Investigation (@AirCrash_) January 15, 2023
Official word
Nepal's Prime Minister. Pushpa Kamal Dahal, stated the following about the crash:
"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. I sincerely appeal to the security personnel, all agencies of the Nepal government and the general public to start an effective rescue."
Local resident Arun Tamu reached the crash site just minutes after the accident. He shared the following, according to Reuters:
“Half of the plane is on the hillside. The other half has fallen into the gorge of the Seti river."
Footage shows several people rushing to the scene to try and help while clouds of black smoke emit from the crashed turboprop.
A challenging terrain
Nepal hosts some of the highest mountains across the globe. As a result, it can be a tough task to navigate some regions, especially when it comes to takeoff and landing. As a result, airlines often try to avoid flying over the Himalayas if they can.
Still, it’s not often possible during domestic and regional missions. Just last year, we reported on a Tara Air de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter crashing in Sanosware, Nepal, causing fatalities to all occupants on board.
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