India condoles tragic loss of lives in Nepal plane crash

Indian leaders condoled the death of 68 people, including at least 5 Indians, in Nepal's Yeti Airlines ATR-72 plane crash.

This is Nepal's worst plane crash in five years. According to Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority the ATR-72 Yeti Airlines flight which crashed somewhere between the old airport of Pokhara region and the Pokhara International Airport was carrying 68 passengers including five Indians and four crew members, which made 72 people onboard in total.

Taking to Twitter, Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said, "The loss of lives in a tragic plane crash in Nepal is extremely unfortunate. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the bereaved. Om Shanti."

Indian Minister S Jaishankar also expressed grief over the incident and extended his condolences to the victims. "Deeply grieved on hearing about the air crash in Pokhara, Nepal. Our thoughts are with the affected families," Jaishankar tweeted.

According to official reports 4 out of 5 Indian casualties were from Uttar Pradesh, Ghaziapur district.

Meanwhile, the black box or the flight data recorder (FDR) of the Yeti Airlines aircraft has been handed over by the Nepal Army to Civil Aviation Authority officials on January 16.

The twin-engine ATR 72 aircraft from Kathmandu crashed in Pokhara minutes before touch-down on January 15. A total of 68 bodies have been recovered so far from the site of the crash.

"Bodies of passengers, whose identities have been established, have been sent for post-mortem. A group of experts also has arrived at the spot. The bodies will be handed over to the families here but those of the crew members, foreigners and the ones yet to be identified will be sent to Kathmandu this evening," Assistant Chief District Officer of Kaski, Nepal, Anil Kumar Shahi said.

(ANI)