Nepal is observing a day of national mourning this Monday (16/01/2023) after Sunday’s plane crash that killed at least 67 people, including an Argentine, in the worst disaster of its kind in the country in three decades.
The plane, a Yeti Airlines ATR 72 from Kathmandu, the Nepalese capital, crashed near Pokhara (centre) just before 11 a.m. local time (05:15 GMT) with 72 people on board – 68 passengers and four crew members. where it should land.
The burning plane was found in a 300-meter chasm between the old 1958 airport and the new international terminal that was inaugurated on January 1 in Pokhara, the gateway for trekkers from all over the world.
Soldiers used ropes to retrieve bodies from the bottom of the gorge late Sunday and early Monday.
“Because of the fog, the search was suspended. We will resume them in an hour or two when the weather improves,” police officer AK Chhetri said early Monday morning.
“31 (bodies) were taken to hospitals,” the official previously told AFP.
15 foreigners were on the plane
There were 15 foreign nationals on board the plane: five Indian nationals, four Russians, two Koreans, one Australian, one Irish and one French, airline spokesman Sudarshan Bardaula said.
Also an Argentine passenger identified as Jannet Sandra Palavecino, 58, mother of two daughters and from the province of Neuquén (south-west), according to her country’s newspaper La Nación.
After the accident, rescuers tried to put out the fire between the remains of the device, an ATR 72 powered by two turboprop engines.
A local authority representative assured that “some survivors” were taken to the hospital, but this information was not confirmed by Yeti Airlines or other officials.
In a statement from Toulouse in south-west France, ATR, the manufacturer of the aircraft, indicated that it was a 72-500 model, adding that its specialists were “fully committed to both the investigation and.” to support the customer.” Yeti Airlines.
mg (afp, ap)