There were five Indians onboard the Nepali passenger plane that crashed in Nepal's Pokhara. Their fates are not yet known.
There were a total of 72 passengers in the Nepali plane, including 68 passengers and four crew members. The plane was operated by Yeti Airlines.
Of the 72 persons onboard, a total of 68 bodies have so far been recovered from the site of crash, according to PTI.
The Indians in the plane have been identified as Abhisekh Kushwaha, Bishal Sharma, Anil Kumar Rajbhar, Sonu Jaiswal, and Sanjaya Jaiswal, according to a Yeti Airlines official.
"An ATR-72 plane of Yeti Airlines crashed today near the Pokhara Airport while flying from Kathmandu. According to the info provided by Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, 5 Indians were travelling on this flight. Rescue operations are underway," the Indian mission tweeted.
The embassy also released helpline numbers: I) Kathmandu: Shri Diwakar Sharma:+977-9851107021, II) Pokhara: Lt Col Shashank Tripathi: +977-9856037699.
Yeti Airlines' 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft took off from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport at 10:33 am and crashed at the Pokhara airport at around 11 am. Pokhara is a major tourist destination in the Himalayan nation, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).
While attempting to land at the Pokhara airport, the aircraft crashed on the bank of the Seti River between the old airport and the new airport.
Visuals of the site of the crash show the aircraft up in flames and smoke rising in the air. The PTI also reported that the rescue operation was hampered by the tough terrain of the crash site.
(With PTI inputs)
