Twenty-One Bodies Found After A Plane Crashed In Nepal’s Mountainside

On Monday, twenty-one bodies have been found after a plane carrying 22 people crashed on a mountainside in Nepal. The 20-minute flight lost contact with the airport tower over Nepal, while in an area of deep river gorges and mountaintops.

 

The search for the last person is on, said Kathmandu airport spokesman Tek Nath Sitaula. According to the army, the plane had crashed in Sanosware in Mustang district, close to the mountain town of Jomsom, where it was heading after taking off from the resort town of Pokhara,125 miles west of Kathmandu.

 

Data from flightradar24.com showed that the 43-year-old aircraft took off from Pokhara at 9.55 am local time and transmitted its last signal at 10.07 am at an altitude of 12,825 feet.

 

A Twitter post by an army spokesman showed parts of the aircraft scattered around the mountainside. Due to bad weather conditions and darkness, the search for the plane had been suspended on Sunday night but resumed on Monday.

 

The passengers included four Indians and two Germans and the three crew members and other passengers were Nepali nationals. The place where the plane was headed is famous for trekking mountain trails and attracts several foreign hikers. At the same time, Nepalese and Indian pilgrims visit this place to visit the sacred Muktinath temple.

 

The Twin Otter was originally built by Canadian aircraft manufacturer De Havilland and has been in service in Nepal for close to 50 years. According to aviationnepal.com, during this time, it has been involved in around 21 accidents.