CNN
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A search and rescue operation was launched in Nepal after a fatal plane crash that again highlights the dangers of air travel in a country often considered one of the riskiest places to fly.
Of the 72 people on board, at least 69 were killed and their bodies were found after an explosion. Yeti . Airlines The plane crashed near the city of Pokhara on Sunday.
Nepalese Army spokesman Krishna Prasad Bhandari said that hundreds of emergency personnel on Monday were involved in the search and recovery mission, which has now been paused and will resume on Tuesday morning.
Kaski County Sheriff Ajay KC said earlier on Monday that the chances of finding survivors were “extremely low” as workers used cranes to pull bodies out of the canyon.
Forty-one victims have now been identified, according to the airline. Aviation officials and local police said their bodies would be handed over to family members.
The autopsy was delayed because a team of forensic experts did not reach Pokhara until Monday afternoon local time.
According to South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, two South Korean nationals are believed to be among those killed in the crash, based on their belongings.
Nepalese authorities said the bodies believed to be foreigners would be taken to Kathmandu, where they would undergo the necessary checks and be identified.
The crash was the worst air disaster in the Himalayan nation in 30 years. It is also the third worst air crash in Nepal’s history, according to data from the Aviation Safety Network.
Experts say conditions such as extreme weather, limited visibility and mountainous terrain all contribute to Nepal’s reputation as a dangerous place for the aviation industry.
The Yeti Airlines flight on Sunday was nearing the end of its short journey from the capital Kathmandu to Pokhara when it lost contact with a control tower. According to the country’s civil aviation authority, about 15 foreign nationals were on board.
According to a spokesman for Yeti Airlines, the pilot of the downed flight lost her husband – a co-pilot of the same airline – in a similar crash in 2006.
Anju Khatiwada decided to become a pilot after the death of her husband, Dipak Pokhrel, and used the insurance payment to travel to the US for training, Sudarshan Bartaula told CNN. She has been with the airline since 2010 and has more than 6,300 flight hours.
“She is a brave woman with all her courage and determination. She left us too soon,” he said.
Bartaula added that Khatiwada was the captain and was flying with an instructor pilot for additional training at the time of the crash.
Pokhara, a lakeside city, is a popular tourist destination and the gateway to the Himalayas. It serves as the starting point for the famous Annapurna Circuit climbing route, with over 181,000 foreigners visiting the area in 2019.
A government commission is currently investigating the cause of the crash, with the support of French authorities. Yeti Airlines aircraft are manufactured by aerospace company ATR, based in France.
Officials said the plane’s black box, which records flight data, was recovered on Monday and will be handed over to civil aviation authorities.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said that all ATR-42 and ATR-47 aircraft in the country were inspected after the Yeti Airlines crash and found no technical problems.
Volatile weather patterns are not the only problem for flight operations. According to one safety report 2019 from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, the country’s “hostile terrain” is also part of the “huge challenge” faced by pilots.
Nepal, a country of 29 million people, is home to 8 of the 14 highest mountains in the world, including Everest, and the stunning rugged landscapes make it a popular tourist destination for tourists. for hikers.
But this terrain can be difficult to navigate from the air, especially when the weather is bad and things are made worse by the need to use small planes to reach the mountains and beyond of the country.
The Civil Aviation Authority report says aircraft with 19 seats or less are more prone to accidents due to these challenges.
Kathmandu is Nepal’s main transit hub from where many of these small flights leave.
The airport in the town of Lukla, northeastern Nepal, commonly known as the airport The most dangerous airport in the world. Known as the gateway to Everest, the airport’s runway is perched on a cliff between mountains, falling straight into an abyss at the end. It has seen many fatal crashes over the years, including 2008 and 2019.
The lack of investment in older aircraft only adds to the risk of flying.
In 2015, the International Civil Aviation Organization, an agency of the United Nations, Prioritize helping Nepal through the Aviation Safety Implementation Support Partner. Two years later, ICAO and Nepal announced a partnership to address safety issues.
Although the country has made improvements in safety standards in recent years, challenges remain.
In May 2022, a Tara Air flight departs from Pokhara crash into the mountainkilled 22 people.
In early 2018, a US-Bangla Airlines flight from Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka to Kathmandu crashed on landing and caught fire, killing 51 of the 71 people on board.
And in 2016, a flight of Tara Air crashed while flying the same route as the plane that was lost on Sunday. That incident involved a newly purchased Twin Otter aircraft flying in clear conditions.
