A Yeti Airlines aircraft reportedly carrying 72 people crashed in central Nepal on Sunday, with at least 68 people confirmed to have died in the wreck. The plane was flying from Kathmandu to Pokhara when it plummeted into the ground after making an attempt to land, according to CNN.
Upon impact, the plane burst into a huge fireball as locals rushed to the crash site near the Seti River to help search for bodies. Sources say that rescue efforts were obstructed due to the heavy smoke and the blames around the crash site, with the remaining four people who were on board currently listed as “missing.”
“The flames were so hot that we couldn’t go near the wreckage. I heard a man crying for help, but because of the flames and smoke we couldn’t help him,” one of the witnesses said of the tragedy. Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority is currently investigating what could have led to the accident minutes before it was expected to make its landing, though another witness claimed the plane had been “spinning violently” in the air before the crash.
The incident has been called one of the worst air crashes the Himalayan country has seen in well over five years, with Nepal army spokesperson Krishna Bhandari stressing that there’s hope all of the bodies will be recovered.
Soldiers of Nepal have been called in for help as rescue operations are still ongoing, but not one person on board the flight has so far been reported to have survived.
A local resident named Divya Dhakal told BBC News that the pilot appeared to have tried to avoid making contact with any buildings seconds before crashing the plane, explaining, “By the time I was there the crash site was already crowded. There was huge smoke coming from the flames of the plane. And then helicopters came over in no time.”
“The pilot tried his best to not hit civilization or any home. There was a small space right beside the Seti River and the flight hit the ground in that small space.”
In total, there were 68 passengers on board, with 15 of those being nationals, as well four staff members of Yeti Airlines. Back in May 2022, a Tara Air plane crashed and killed 22 people in Nepal, with the European Union having since banned Nepalese airlines from its own airspace over fears that their pilots are not trained to the proper standard.
VIDEO:
Video of what seems to be moments before the crash of Yeti Airlines???????? ATR72 carrying 72 passengers near Pokhara Airport#aerowanderer #aviation #avgeek #nepal #yetiairlines pic.twitter.com/hk12Edlvpf
— Aerowanderer (@aerowanderer) January 15, 2023
BREAKING: Yeti Airlines plane carrying more than 70 people crashes in Pokhara, Nepal pic.twitter.com/iUMQ4N16sE
— BNO News (@BNONews) January 15, 2023
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