Confusion after the plane crash – many dead

After a plane crash in Nepal, hope dwindles for survivors. Hundreds of emergency services are on site.

A passenger plane crashed in Nepal’s Pokhara on Sunday morning. The coordinator of the rescue operation on the site adjusted the death toll on Monday morning: so far, 66 of the 72 people on board have been found and taken to hospital for identification. The bodies will then be handed over to relatives.

On Sunday, the stricken Nepal Jet Airways confirmed the death of 69 people. According to the co-ordinator, the difference is that several teams of teams searched the rubble valley for the dead, and some bodies were double-counted. The Eti Airlines flight had 68 passengers and four crew members on board.

“We don’t know if anyone survived,” an airline spokesman told AFP. A rescue operation was underway. About 300 police officers and additional military personnel were on the ground, according to the DPA news agency.

After the crash, rescue workers battled flames rising from the wreckage as thick smoke hung over the valley. Garbage was scattered over a wide area. Hundreds of curious people gathered around the crash site.

Apart from 53 passengers from Nepal, there were five Indians, four Russians, two Koreans and one each from Ireland, Australia, Argentina and France, Eti Airlines announced on Twitter. All six passengers were children. The company initially did not comment on the cause.

The crash happened shortly before landing in a valley near Pokhara International Airport at around 11 am local time. The flight, YT691, took off from Kathmandu, the capital city of central Nepal. Generally the flight time from there to Pokhara is around 30 minutes. According to the airline, the last contact with the cockpit was at 10.50 am.

The plane that crashed was an ATR 72-500, a short-haul regional airliner manufactured by a joint venture between Airbus and Leonardo of Europe. According to the company, Eti Airlines’ fleet consists of six aircraft of this type. ATR said it would assist in the investigation.

Footage circulating online showed the plane flying low over a residential area when it suddenly veered to the left. You can also watch the footage in the video above.

Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal called an emergency cabinet meeting after the accident, the Kathmandu Post reported. He directed the Home Ministry, security personnel and all government agencies to start rescue and relief operations immediately.

Safety standards in Nepal’s aviation sector remain low due to inadequate staff training and poor maintenance of machinery. So the European Union has banned all Nepalese airlines from its airspace. Additionally, the Himalayan state is home to some of the most remote and difficult airstrips. That Wet Nepal’s mountains can change quickly and create dangerous flying conditions. Read more about it here.

Pokhara, about 200 kilometers northwest of Kathmandu, is the starting point for many trekking tours in the Himalayas, including the Annapurna Circuit. Annapurna Massif is a popular trekking region in the country.