Nepal plane crash site located, 14 bodies recovered
Kathmandu, May 30 :Fourteen bodies were recovered on Monday from the crash site of Nepal’s Twin Otter aircraft of Tara Air that had gone missing on Sunday with 22 people on board, including four Indians.
Rescuers pulled out 14 bodies from the crash site of Tara Air and have been scouring the area for the remains of the others, The Kathmandu Post said in its report quoting the rescuers.
The Nepal Army said that pieces of wreckage of the plane were found nearly 20 hours after the aircraft went missing. The debris were found at 14,500ft in Sano Sware Bhir of Thasang in Mustang district in northwestern part of the Himalayan nation.
Nepali Army Spokesperson Narayan Silwal tweeted, “Search and rescue troops have physically located the plane crash site.”
Sudarshan Bartaula, spokesperson of Tara Air, told The Kathmandu Post based on rescuers information that bodies of 14 people have been found.
“As the bodies have been scattered over a 100 meter radius from the main impact point, the search and rescue team is collecting them.”
Bartaula said that the plane had slammed into the mountain breaking into pieces. “The impact has blown the bodies all over the hill.”
Chief District Officer of Mustang Netra Prasad Sharma said the crash site was located with the help of the information given by locals who had reached the area to collect Yarshagumba (caterpillar fungus). The search and rescue team were not able to reach the crash site on Sunday due to adverse weather conditions.
The Nepal Army on Sunday evening said all efforts of search and rescue were halted due to darkness and adverse weather. The search was resumed early morning today both from air and ground.
The Tara Air aircraft left Pokhara Airport on Sunday morning carrying 19 passengers and three crew members. According to the airlines company, the passengers included 13 Nepali, four Indians and two German nationals.