Kathmandu, Nepal: A plane carrying 21 people crashed on Monday while trying to land at a mountain airstrip in Nepal’s northern Himalayas. Four Indians among 14 people were killed as a Dornier plane crashed.According to TV reports, five passengers, including two children, two foreigners and an air hostess, have been rescued alive. The survivors in critical condition were flown by helicopter to the nearby city of Pokhara for treatment, said Laxmi Raj Sharma, chief government administrator in the area.
The plane belongs to local airline company Agni Air.
The Indian Embassy in its statement said, “18 passengers were on board. Out of the 18 on board, 12 were Indians, five people have been rescued.”
Indian Embassy spokesperson Apoorva Srivastava also said that out of the seven survivors, three were Indians.
However, there were conflicting reports on the number of Indians on board the plane. Marketing and Administration Director of Agni Air Pramod Pandey said that there were 16 Indians on board.
Police official Nareswor Aryal also said 16 people are Indian and two passengers are Westerners. Aryal couldn’t immediately say where those two were from.
Rescuers also recovered at least nine bodies from the wreckage site. However, their identity is still unknown.
Police official Nareswor Aryal said 16 people are Indian and two passengers are Westerners. Aryal couldn’t immediately say where those two are from.
The injured people were taken to a local hospital, said Aryal, who is posted at Jomsom town.
The Jomsom Airport is a gateway to a popular tourist and trekking destination. It is about 200 kilometers (125 miles) northwest of the capital, Katmandu.
The wrecked aircraft was in pieces but did not catch fire. However, the reason for the crash is still not known.
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