Nepalese rescue workers yesterday scoured a debris-strewn ravine for more bodies from the mangled wreckage of a plane with 72 people on board, with hopes of any survivors now “nil,” officials said.
The Yeti Airlines ATR 72 plummeted into the steep gorge, smashed into pieces and burst into flames as it approached the central city of Pokhara on Sunday morning, in Nepal’s worst aviation disaster since 1992.
The cause was not yet known but a video on social media — verified by Agence France-Presse partner ESN — showed the twin-propeller aircraft banking suddenly and sharply to the left as it approached Pokhara International Airport. A loud explosion followed.
Photo: AFP
Nepal, which has a poor record on air safety, observed a day of mourning yesterday for the victims.
Soldiers used ropes and stretchers to retrieve bodies from the 300m deep ravine late into the night, with recovery efforts resuming yesterday.
“We have collected 68 bodies so far. We are searching for four more bodies. We should continue until we get the bodies,” senior local official Tek Bahadur KC said.
“We pray for a miracle, but the hope of finding anyone alive is nil,” he said.
Debris from the airliner was strewn across the crash site, including the mangled remains of passenger seats and the plane’s white-colored fuselage.
Rescue workers had rushed to the site after the crash, and tried to put out the raging fires that had sent thick black smoke into the sky.
There were 15 foreigners on board, including five Indians, four Russians, two South Koreans, and one passenger each from Argentina, Australia, France and Ireland, Yeti spokesman Sudarshan Bartaula said.
The rest were Nepalese.
“Incredibly sad news out of Nepal of a plane crashing with many passengers on board,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said yesterday, adding that his government was seeking information about the Australian national on board.
The ATR 72 was on a flight from the capital, Kathmandu, and plunged into the gorge between Pokhara’s international airport, which opened on Jan. 1, and the domestic one shortly before 11am on Sunday.
“I was walking when I heard a loud blast, like a bomb went off,” said witness Arun Tamu, 44, who was about 500m away and livestreamed video of the blazing wreckage on social media.
“A few of us rushed to see if we can rescue anybody. I saw at least two women were breathing. The fire was getting very intense and it made it difficult for us to approach closer,” the former soldier said.
It was unclear if anyone on the ground was injured.
“Our first thoughts are with all the individuals affected by this,” the plane’s France-based manufacturer, ATR, said in a statement on Sunday. “ATR specialists are fully engaged to support both the investigation and the customer.”
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