PLANE CRASHES IN NEPAL, 64 DEAD
At least 64 people have been confirmed dead after a plane crashed close to the Phokara airport in central Nepal.
Videos on social media show the plane spinning sharply just before it hit the ground. The Yeti Airlines flight departed from the capital Kathmandu.
In the videos, a loud explosion can be heard before it goes out of view and crashes on landing.
The plane crashed between two hills which are creating havoc for rescue workers who are trying to get to the wreckage in a 300-metre high gorge.
Army spokesperson Krishna Prasad Bhandari said the rescue situation is difficult.
“The aircraft crashed into a gorge so it is difficult to bring the bodies. Search and rescue is ongoing. No survivors have been found yet.
So far, 64 bodies have been recovered so far. There were 72 people on board of which 68 of them were passengers.
Nepal’s airports are known for being some of the most difficult to land at because of their location among hills and mountains.
It’s believed that there were foreign nationals from countries including Australia, Ireland, India and France onboard.
Business Insider reports that at least 309 people have died since 2000 in plane or helicopter crashes in the mountainous nation of the Himalayas. The European Union banned Nepali aeroplanes from its airspace in 2013 over concerns regarding safety.
Image credit: The Telegraph