Nepal plane crash: The cause of the accident is not yet known.
Over 50 passengers are feared dead feared dead as a US-Bangla airlines carrying 67 passengers and four crew crashed at Tribhuvan International airport in Nepal’s Kathmandu on Monday. Airport security sources said several passengers who were rescued in critical condition have been sent to the hospital while there were many bodies lying in a charred condition.
“We cannot give the exact number of casualty as we are still finding out all details. At the moment, our priority is to rush the victims to the hospitals,” sources from the spot said, adding the fire has now been controlled and that the rescue work is on.
The plane caught fire after it careened off the runway during landing and crashed onto a football ground near the airport, the Tribhuvan International Airport spokesperson, Prem Nath Thakur, was quoted as saying by the Kathmandu Post. The officials are yet to ascertain the reason behind the unusual landing. Plumes of black smoke could be seen rising from the football ground where the plane crashed.
All flights to and fro from the airport in Kathmandu have been halted.
See in pictures | Nepal air crash: Latest photos from Kathmandu Airport
A spokesman for Dhaka-based US-Bangla Airlines says a flight that crashed in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, was carrying 67 passengers: 32 from Bangladesh, 33 from Nepal and one each from China and the Maldives, reported AP
The plane, operated by US-Bangla Airlines, was on a flight from Dhaka when it hit an airport fence and burst into flames, said Raj Kumar Chettri, general manager of the hill-ringed airport, which is prone to bird strikes and other hazards. "We have recovered 50 dead bodies so far," said army spokesman Gokul Bhandari. Several people had been rescued from the burning wreckage of the Bombardier Q400 series aircraft but nine people were still unaccounted for, he said.
-Reuters
Data from tracking website Flightradar24.com showed the aircraft was 17 years old. The aircraft descended to an airport altitude of 4,400 feet and then ascended up to 6,600 feet before crashing about two minutes later, the website said, Reuters reported
"Over 50 people are feared dead. We are carrying out rescue work. We are collecting details," Raj Kumar Chhetri, TIA General Manager, was quoted as saying by My Republica. It said more than 20 injured were taken to Kathmandu Medical College for treatment of which seven were brought dead at the hospital. The remaining are undergoing treatment for serious burn injuries.
-PTI
Multiple accidents have taken place at the Kathmandu airport in the past. Here is a list of the other plane crashes that took place at the airport this year. Read more
The crash in Nepal killed at least 50 people, an army spokesperson told Reuters
Basanta Bohora, one of the survivors of the plane crash recalled that the takeoff was normal from Dhaka but when the plane approached for landing in Kathmandu, the aircraft began to behave strangely, reported The Kathmandu Post
“All of a sudden the plane shook violently and there was a loud bang afterwards,” he said, “I was seated near the window and was able to break out of the window. I have no recollection after I got out of the plane, someone took me to Sinamangal hospital and from there my friends brought me to Norvic,” he said, “I have received injuries to my head and legs but I am fortunate that I survived the ordeal.”
- The Kathmandu Post
Nepal police official says at least 38 people on broad have been killed and 23 injured in the Kathmandu plane crash. Ten people are still unaccounted for, reports news agency AP
The plane caught fire after it careened off the runway during landing and crashed onto a football ground near the airport, the Tribhuvan International Airport spokesperson, Prem Nath Thakur, was quoted as saying by the Kathmandu Post. Plumes of black smoke could be seen rising from the football ground where the plane crashed.
Eight bodies have been recovered so far from the crash site, reports Reuters. More casualties are feared
The airport in Kathmandu has been the site of several plane crashes in the past.Small aircraft often run into trouble in the mountainous region. A Thai Airways flight from Bangkok crashed while trying to land in Kathmandu in 1992 killing all on board. n September 2012, a Sita Air turboprop plane carrying trekkers to Mount Everest hit a bird and crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 19 on board.
Source: AP
An airline official said some injured passengers had been taken away by ambulance.``I can't say exactly how many have been rescued,'' Mohammed Selim, the airline's manager in Kathmandu, told Dhaka-based Somoy TV station by phone, reported AP. He also added that the plane had circled the airport twice as it waited for clearance to land
Source: AP
Nepalese army has been pressed into service and are on the ground to help in the rescue operations, reports The Kathmandu Post
Nepalese rescuers stand near a passenger plane from Bangladesh that crashed at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal (AP)
Director General of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (Caan) Sanjiv Gautam said that the plane was out of control when it attempted to land on the runway. “The aircraft was permitted to land from the Southern side of the runway over Koteshwor but it landed from the Northern side,” said Gautam suspecting the aircraft might have sustained some technical glitches. “We are yet to ascertain the reason behind the unusual landing,” he added, reported The Kathmandu Post
Amanda Summers, an American who works in Nepal, watched the crash happen from the terrace of her home office. ``It was flying so low I thought it was going to run into the mountains,'' she said. She said it was unclear if it had reached the runway when it landed. ``All of a sudden there was a blast and then another blast,'' she said, as reported by news agency AP
There were 67 passengers in the aircraft, Reuters reported. Of them, around 17 have been rescued and are being sent to hospitals for treatment.
An employee who answered the phone at the US-Bangla offices in Dhaka said no one was available to talk. “I have no other details,” said the employee, who refused to give his name. “But a bad incident has happened," reported news agency AP
All flights in and out of the Tribhuvan International Airport have been cancelled following the crash.