In a tragic accident, at least 32 people were killed, on Sunday, after a 72-seater passenger plane crashed in the tourist city of Pokhara, central Nepal.
Tech Bahadur K. said. Sy, a senior administrative official in Kaski district, said rescuers are scouring the crash site near the City River, about a mile (1.6 km) from Pokhara International Airport, and expect to find more bodies.
It is not yet clear what caused the plane to crash.
In turn, the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority revealed in a statement that the twin-engine ATR-72 aircraft operated by the Nepalese airline Yeti was carrying 68 passengers, including 15 foreigners, and a crew of 4.
Among the foreigners were 5 Indians, 4 Russians, two South Koreans, and one each from Ireland, Australia, Argentina and France.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who rushed to the site after the accident, also explained that the plane was on its way from the capital, Kathmandu, to the city of Pokhara, and urged security personnel and the public to assist in the rescue efforts.
While another Nepalese official did not rule out the presence of survivors of the disaster, amid the authorities announcing the closure of Pokhara International Airport.
Poor air security and accidents
It is noteworthy that Nepal is a poor country located in the Himalayas, and it has a record of poor air security.
The European Union closed its skies to all Nepali airlines for safety reasons some time ago.
In addition, television footage showed thick smoke rising from the crash site, while rescue workers and crowds of people gathered around the wreckage of the plane.
The tourist town of Pokhara, 200 kilometers (125 miles) west of Kathmandu, is the gateway to the Annapurna circuit, a popular trekking trail in the Himalayas. Pokhara International Airport started operations only two weeks ago.
Pictures from the accident
It is noteworthy that 22 people were killed last year, when a plane crashed on a mountainside in Nepal.
In 2018, a passenger plane from Bangladesh crashed upon landing in Kathmandu, killing 49 of the 71 people on board.
In 1992, all 167 passengers on board a Pakistan International Airlines plane were killed when it crashed into a hill while trying to land in Kathmandu.