PM Modi 'pained' by tragic Nepal plane crash, says 'precious lives lost, including Indians'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he was pained by the tragic air crash in Nepal in which precious lives have been lost, including Indian nationals.

“Pained by the tragic air crash in Nepal in which precious lives have been lost, including Indian nationals. In this hour of grief, my thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families,” Modi said in a tweet and tagged his Nepalese counterpart Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’.

Pained by the tragic air crash in Nepal in which precious lives have been lost, including Indian nationals. In this hour of grief, my thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families. @cmprachanda @PM_nepal_

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 15, 2023

Five Indians among 72 onboard

At least 68 people have been killed as a Yeti Airlines passenger plane with 72 people on board, including five Indians, crashed into a river gorge while landing at the newly-opened airport in central Nepal’s resort city of Pokhara on Sunday in the Himalayan nation’s deadliest aviation accident in over 30 years.

The five Indians were identified as Abhisekh Kushwaha, 25, Bishal Sharma, 22, Anil Kumar Rajbhar, 27, Sonu Jaiswal, 35, and Sanjaya Jaiswal, a Yeti Airlines official said.

Among the five, four had just arrived in Kathmandu from India on Friday.

All the four were planning to enjoy paragliding in the lake city and tourist hub Pokhara, recalled Ajay Kumar Shah, a resident of Sarlahi district in southern Nepal said.

A total of 72 people including 4 crew members were onboard the flight. There were 53 Nepalese, 5 Indians, 4 Russians, 2 Koreans, 1 Australian, 1 Argentinan, 1 Irish, and a French passenger on the flight, Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority said.

BREAKING: Yeti Airlines plane carrying more than 70 people crashes in Pokhara, Nepal pic.twitter.com/iUMQ4N16sE

— BNO News (@BNONews) January 15, 2023

Yeti Airlines’ 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft took off from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport at 10:33 am and crashed on the bank of the Seti River between the old airport and the new airport minutes before landing, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said.

With inputs from PTI

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