At least 25 people were killed Sunday after a Yeti Airlines flight carrying 72 people crashed at the country’s brand-new Pokhara Airport, local police said.
Assistant Sub Inspector Rudra Thapa of the Pokhara police said 25 bodies had been recovered from the crash site so far.
The plane left Kathmandu about 10:30 a.m. local time and was carrying 68 passengers and four crew members to Pokhara, a vacation town about a 25-minute flight away that is known for its serene lake at the foot of picturesque, forested mountains.
The plane crashed as it approached landing, Yeti Airlines spokesperson Sudarshan Bartaula said. He said there were 15 foreigners aboard, including five from India, four from Russia, two from South Korea, one from Argentina, one from Australia, one from France and one from Ireland. But he didn’t say whether those were among the dead.
The incident marks Nepal’s second plane crash in the past year, and Pokhara Airport’s first crash since it opened on Jan. 1. In May, 22 people, including six foreign nationals, died after a Tara Air flight departing from Pokhara crashed into the Himalayan mountainside, prompting the government to launch an investigation into the incident. The plane was headed for the tourist town of Jomsom on what was projected to be about a 20-minute flight.
This is a developing story.
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