Nepal officials have said that there is almost no chance of finding any survivors of the devastating plane crash as it was one of the most horrifying plane crashes in Nepal’s history. Tek Bahadur, the local officer who is handling the case, said that the rescue team has managed to find the plane's flight data and voice recorders, which has reduced the chances of finding any survivors to almost nil. The flight was of Yeti Airlines which was traveling from Kathmandu to Pokhara carrying 72 passengers on Sunday, January 15. Due to some unclear reasons, the flight suddenly lost its lift and crashed down. Tek Bahadur said that out of 72 passengers and members of the flight crew, 68 bodies have been recovered so far. Tek Bahadur is the Chief District Officer in the Taksi district, where the plane crashed. As the plane was approaching the airport, the plane suddenly took a sharp turn and crashed just a kilometer away from the airport. Someone has managed to record the incident of the crashing plane on their mobile phone where the plane is leaning on one side and then the sound of a loud crash can be seen and heard, respectively. According to local officials, a rescue team of around 300 members is working on their search for the remaining four passengers.
The Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, declared a national mourning day on Monday while reacting to this devastating crash. Under his governance, the Nepal government has set up an investigation panel to understand the situation and the cause behind this crash. Along with the rescue team of 300 members, locals also rushed to the crash site as they heard the loud noise created by the crash. According to the locals and the authorities, the plane crashed at around 11:00 am as per local time. The locals said that even though the plane lost its balance near the residential area, the pilot did his best in these residential areas. There is a piece of barren land near the Seti River, where the pilot crashed the plane in an attempt to avoid the residential area.
Nepal is a land covered with mountains and uneven terrain. Because of this, it is not possible to have long runways where a plane can be landed comfortably. Along with the dangerous terrain, Nepal also constantly witnesses sudden weather changes which creates a challenge for pilots operating in the country. Hence, accidents related to airplanes are not rare in the country. The country is also limited by the lack of technological and financial requirements to support piloting institutions with higher credibility. Because of this, many countries have restricted Nepalese airlines to enter their airspace. After the crash, many requests have surfaced asking for better training regimes for Nepalese pilots. Many are also asking to hold the airline and the country’s aviation regulatory body accountable for the crash. As the airlines are becoming more popular across the Nepalese population, better aviation guidelines and regulations are becoming much more necessary to avoid such incidents in the future.
