KATHMANDU, Nepal–The missing Twin Otter plane carrying 18 people on board has been found crashed at Masine Lek of Khanchikot in Arghakhanchi district, Monday morning. Nepal police have found all the 18 bodies around the crash site.
Security personnel located the crash site of the missing plane belonging to Nepal Airline Corporation (NAC) after tracking the mobile phone carried by Captain Shanker Shrestha.
Security personnel landed at the crash site via three helicopters early in the morning and rescue efforts are still carried out. The thick snowfall at the area has affected the rescue attempts, it is learned.
The missing plane had not been traced till late Sunday evening due to cloudy weather coupled with rainfall and snow.
The Jumla-bound aircraft with 18 passengers on board, including a Danish national and, three crew members had gone missing since Sunday afternoon.
The 19-seater twin otter that took off from Pokhara airport at 12:45 pm lost contact with air traffic control tower since 1:13, according to Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).
The crew members of the ill-fated plane include Captain Shankar Shrestha, co-pilot Rabindra Banjara and Air hostess Muna Maharjan.
This is the second air accident involving NAC aircraft in the last two years.
Citing safety fears, the European Union put all of Nepal’s airlines on a blacklist in the December.
The name of other passengers who were fear dead has been listed below:
1. Manab Sejuwal
2. Rajendra Devkota
3. Tek Bahadur Mahatara
4. Nanda Mahatara
5. D Mahatara
6. Gauri Kathayat
7. Dr. IB Pokhrel
8. Barsa Hamal and his child
9. BP Upadhyay
10. U Tamang
11. R Chaulagain
12. ID Shrestha
13. D Neupane
14. DR Sah and
15. M Mathiesen (Danish national)
(Source: Nepal Airlines Corporation’s passenger list)