Video inside the Nepal plane crash, 68 confirmed dead
As rescue work continues, at least 68 people have been confirmed dead in a plane crash in Nepal, making it the country’s deadliest aviation accident in over 30 years. A new video has surfaced that appears to have been taken inside the plane in its final moments as well.
Some 72 people, including four crew members and 68 passengers, were on board the ATR 72 plane operated by Yeti Airlines when it crashed. The incident is the third-deadliest crash in the Himalayan nation’s history.
The aircraft had been flying from the capital of Kathmandu to Pokhara, the country’s second-most populous city and a gateway to the Himalayas. The plane was last in contact before the crash with Pokhara Airport at about 10.50am local time, about 18 minutes after takeoff. It then went down in the nearby Seti River Gorge just 1.5 kilometres from the airport.
Social media posts captured videos of the plane flying low over a populated area before spinning out of control. Others showed heavy black smoke plumes from the plane crash site, with burning debris visible in some videos.
Now, footage has been shared online, allegedly saved from a Facebook livestream of one of the five Indian passengers on board, that appears to capture the final moments of the doomed plane before the crash.
Some sources confirmed the video shows a Nepalese insurance ad on the back of a seat with a Yeti Airlines logo visible behind the man briefly, lending credence to its possible validity.
During the Nepal plane accident,a passenger who was the victim of the accident was doing Facebook Live, the video went viral on social media. At least 68 people have died after a 72-seater plane crashed. #planecrash #NepalPlaneCrash #Nepal #pokhra #NepalPlaneCrashVideo pic.twitter.com/KSLpWhBIRp
— Gajraj Singh Parihar (@GAJRAJPARIHAR) January 15, 2023
First responders from the Nepal Army and various police departments have been deployed to the scene and are carrying out a rescue operation. A five-member committee has also been formed to investigate the cause of the plane crash. The group must submit a report to the government within 45 days.
The government declared Monday a public holiday to mourn the victims of the plane crash. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin both conveyed their condolences, as did Australia’s ambassador to Nepal.
The passenger list of the flight includes 68 people, with a majority of them being Nepalese citizens. There were also 15 foreign nationals among the passengers, including five Indians, four Russians, two Koreans, and one each from Ireland, Australia, Argentina, and France.
Nepal’s Yeti Airlines said it was cancelling all regular flights on Monday, January 16, so they can mourn for the victims of the plane crash. Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal issued a statement of condolences as well.
“[I am] deeply saddened by the sad and tragic accident.”
The Himalayan country of Nepal, home to eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains, including Mount Everest, has a record of air accidents. It is not uncommon for plane crashes to occur in Nepal, due to the country’s unpredictable weather conditions and often remote airports with difficult runways to land on. The aircraft involved in Sunday’s crash was an ATR 72-500, a twin-prop turbojet often used in the Asia-Pacific region, especially among low-cost carriers.
