External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today expressed grief on the plane crash accident in which all 72 people are believed to be killed. So far, a total of 68 bodies have been recovered. Jaishankar said that he is deeply grieved upon hearing about the air crash in Pokhara. "Deeply grieved on hearing about the air crash in Pokhara, Nepal. Our thoughts are with the affected families," said Jaishankar in a tweet.
He also shared the helpline numbers issued by the Indian Embassy in Nepal. "An ATR-72 plane of Yeti Airlines crashed today near the Pokhara Airport while flying from Kathmandu. According to the info provided by Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, 5 Indians were travelling on this flight. Rescue operations are underway. Helplines of Embassy: I) Kathmandu: Shri Diwakar Sharma:+977-9851107021/ II) Pokhara: Lt Col Shashank Tripathi: +977-9856037699 / Embassy is in touch with local authorities and is monitoring the situation," said the embassy in a tweet.
Deeply grieved on hearing about the air crash in Pokhara, Nepal. Our thoughts are with the affected families. https://t.co/ebXxx4rCbo
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 15, 2023
An aircraft with 68 passengers and four crew members on board crashed in Nepal's Pokhara just before landing. The plane, a 72-seater passenger aircraft, reportedly crashed on the runway at Pokhara Airport in Nepal while landing. The airport is closed for the time being and rescue operations are underway. Kathmandu Post quoted a spokesperson of Yeti Airlines Sudarshan Bartaula as saying that the ATR 72 Yeti airlines aircraft crashed between the old airport and the Pokhara International Airport.
Images and videos of the crash posted on social media platforms showed plumes of smoke billowing out of the crash site. 68 bodies have been recovered from the Nepal plane crash site, said a rescue official.
The Pokhara International Airport was inaugurated two weeks ago by Nepal's newly-appointed Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and built with Chinese assistance. Built-in the backdrop of the pristine Annapurna Mountain Range, the airport was officially inaugurated on January 1, 2023.
