Nepalese authorities search for second day
The search for the crash of a Nepalese airliner with 72 people on board, including two Koreans, continues for the second day.
Local media reported that Nepalese soldiers and police and other rescue personnel plan to continue the search operation on the 16th at the crash site in Pokhara on the 16th.
The day before, in Nepal, an ATR72 belonging to Yeti Airlines, which was en route from Kathmandu to the central resort city of Pokhara, crashed near the new international airport in Pokhara.
A total of 72 people, including about 15 foreigners, were reported to have been on board, and it was confirmed that two Koreans were also on board. The Korean passengers were reported to be Mrs. Yoo in her 40s and her teenage son.
Nepalese authorities said they found 68 bodies through search work the day before in relation to the accident, and that four people have not yet been confirmed to be alive or dead. Authorities conducted a search operation by mobilizing hundreds of helicopters and rescue personnel, but as it was dark the previous day, it was judged that it would be difficult to proceed with the search, so the search was terminated on the first day. At the scene of the accident, it was reported that the wreckage of the plane was scattered on steep hillsides and canyons, making it difficult to search.
The Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also confirmed that two Koreans were on board the plane, and is operating the Headquarters for Protection of Koreans Overseas, dispatching a consular assistant to the scene of the accident to support search operations.
While the specific cause of the accident has not been identified, the Nepalese government has formed a panel to investigate the cause of the accident. Yeti Airlines canceled all flights scheduled for the day, expressing condolences to the victims.
Nepal is located in the Himalayan mountain range and has frequent plane accidents due to the ever-changing weather conditions. In May of last year, a small passenger plane belonging to Nepal’s Tara Air crashed 15 minutes after taking off from Pokhara Airport, killing all 22 people on board. Reuters reported that nearly 350 people have died in Nepal since 2000 alone in plane and helicopter crashes.
