Kathmandu: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has extended deep sorrow over the crash of the ATR-72 plane belonging to Yeti Airlines in Pokhara of Kaski late this morning.
“I am shocked by the news about the Yeti Airlines ATR-72 plane crash in Pokhara. I extend heartfelt tributes to all those passengers and crew members killed in the crash and offer heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families,” the Head- of- the- State tweeted.
A total of 72 people: 68 passengers and four crew members were onboard the plane that had flown from Tribhuvan International Airport to Pokhara at 10:33 am today. So far 68 bodies have been retrieved from the crash site.
68 bodies retrieved, crane used for rescue
A total of 68 bodies have been retrieved from the site where the ATR-72 plane belonging to Yeti Airlines crashed in Pokhara of Kaski late this morning.
According to Kaski’s Assistant Chief District Officer Anil Shahi, crane is used to undertake rescue efforts as the plane fell deep down into the Seti River gorge. Thirty-one bodies have been already taken to the Pokhara-based Gandaki Hospital for post-mortem examinations.
A total of 72 people: 68 passengers and four crew members were onboard the plane that had flown from Tribhuvan International Airport to Pokhara at 10:33 am today.
Among the deceased, 53 are Nepalis, five Indians, four Russians, one Irish, one Argentinian, two Koreans and one French national.The crew members are captains Kamal KC and Anju Khatiwada, and airhostess Srijana Hongchun and Osin Alemagar.
Biggest domestic air crash so far
The Yeti Airlines’ plane crash in Pokhara today is the biggest one so far in the domestic sector.
Today’s aircraft accident in Pokhara is the largest one in the domestic sector so far, said Jagannath Niraula, Spokesperson of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).
Hundreds of people have lost their lives to the various incidences of air crash that have taken place in Nepal before this. Seventy-two people were on board the aircraft that crashed in Pokhara today.
TIA establishes call centre to disseminate information
The government has set up a call centre at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) to disseminate information about the crash of ATR-72 plane belonging to Yeti Airlines in Pokhara of Kaski today.
According to TIA General Manager Premnath Thakur, the call centre has been assisted by two contact numbers: 9801007531 (Pemba Sherpa) who represents the Yeti Airlines and 01-4113163 of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.
The facility is for the convenience of families and relatives of the crash victims to receive the related information and for those wishing to be updated about the post-crash developments.
The establishment of the centre follows the decision of an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers held this afternoon.
Government mandates technical test before domestic flight
The government has directed all the airlines companies towards the domestic service to ensure a technical test before the operation of a flight.
An emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers took place today following the crash of ATR-72 plane belonging to Yeti Airlines in Pokhara of Kaski today assigned the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to monitor whether airlines companies follow the direction, according to Deputy Prime Minister who is also the Government Spokesperson Bishnu Poudel.
“We expect the enforcement of the rule to mandatory technical test of a plane before flight will help minimize probable risk of avian accident,” he said sharing about the meeting decisions with media.
The meeting mourning the losses of lives in the crash extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.
The government decided to give a public holiday on Monday, tomorrow to mourn the fatal incident at the national level.In addition, the government decided to establish a call center at Tribhuvan International Airport for convenience of families and relatives of the people who were onboard the ill-fated plane and for all the concerned wishing to take information surroundings the crash and related developments.
The centre also aims to make sure the dissemination of fact-based information about the incident. The meeting also agreed to make necessary arrangements for facilitating those wishing to receive moral remains of the crash victims and take it to the respective places.
The Prime Minister is likely to mobilise all the State’s authorities concerned for the post-crash response, according to Poudel.The plane had flown for Pokhara from Kathmandu at 10.33 am today and it crashed along the Seti River gorge.
A total of 72 people: 68 passengers and four crew members were onboard the ill-fated plane. So far bodies of 32 people have been retrieved from the site and rescue efforts continue.
Bodies of deceased in Pokhara plane crash taken to Gandaki Hospital for examination
The bodies of those people who died in the aircraft crash belonging to Yeti Airlines in Pokhara today have been retrieved and taken to Gandaki Hospital for a postmortem, said the district administration office, Kaski.
Most of the bodies were damaged so much so that they are beyond identification, said the office’s administrative officer Dipak Regmi.
The bodies of 30 deceased including a child were taken to the hospital until 2:15 pm today, said Prof Dr Bharat Bahadur Khatri, director of the Pokhara Academy of Health Sciences, adding that the identity of the deceased has yet to be established.
Meanwhile, following the transport of the deceased, the hospital has been surrounded by their families and relatives.
Government forms five-member investigation commission
The government has formed a five-member investigation commission to find out the truth and facts about the crash of the Yeti Airlines aircraft in Pokhara this morning.
An emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers held at the Prime Minister’s residence at Baluwatar formed the probe commission to identify the causes of the plane accident and submit a report along with suggestions for preventing occurrence of such accidents in the coming days.
Former Secretary Nagendra Ghimire is the convenor of the Commission, said Bishnu Poudel, the government spokesperson and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister. The members of the commission include aviation experts Deepak Prakash Bastola (retired Major General) and Sunil Thapa (retired Captain) and aircraft repair engineer Ekraj Jung Thapa.
Joint-Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane is the member-secretary of the commission. The commission has been given 45 days’ deadline.The government spokesperson said that the government would make arrangements for immediately executing the suggestions contained in the report once the commission submits it.
The air crash investigation commission has been formed in accordance with the Civil Aviation Accident Investigation Regulations, 2071 BS. (RSS)
