Just after 11:00 local time, Yeti Airlines flight 691 with service from the Tribhuvan International Airport of Kathmandu to the Pokhara International Airport crashed on landing before catching on fire. The crash site is located about 1.5 kilometers (Just under a mile) away from the airport. Officials say that at least 68 people are already confirmed dead while a few local media outlets say that several critically injured survivors have been rushed to local medical facilities, though this claim has yet to be confirmed. Other sources claim that all 72 aboard the aircraft were killed.
Local witnesses reported seeing the twin-engine ATR 72-500 flying low over populated areas before banking suddenly and hitting the ground. The local witness also said that it appeared that the pilot tried his best to avoid hitting populated areas, instead crashing the aircraft in a small space "right beside the Seti Gandaki River". As of now, the cause of the crash is still unknown, though Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal called for an emergency meeting to set up an investigation panel and work on search-and-rescue operations.
The aircraft took off with 68 passengers and 4 crew members. Aboard the aircraft were 53 Nepalese, 5 Indian, 4 Russian, 2 Korean, 1 Irish, 1 Australian, 1 Argentinian, and 1 French national.
Deadly plane crashes are not an uncommon story from Nepal. With sudden weather changes and remote runways, conditions can become hazardous with very little warning. This latest incident is the deadliest plane crash in Nepal since 1992, when Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268 crashed on approach to Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport, killing all 167 people aboard. In more recent news, a Tara Air flight crashed onto a mountainside in the Mustang district in May of 2022, resulting in 22 deaths.
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