Updated May 29th, 2022 at 16:40 IST
Nepal: Missing Tara Airlines aircraft found at Kowang, status yet to be ascertained
The passenger plane operated by a private airline in Nepal went missing on Sunday with 22 people on board, including four Indians.
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In a massive development, the missing Nepal aircraft carrying 22 passengers has been found at Kowang, Mustang. The status of the Tara Air plane is yet to be ascertained, the Tribhuvan International Airport chief said. According to the information given by locals to the Nepal Army, the plane is said to have crashed at the mouth of the Lamche river, under the landslide of Manapathi Himal.
"According to the information given by the locals to the Nepal Army, the Tara Air plane crashed at the mouth of the Lamche river under the landslide of Manapathi Himal. Nepal Army is moving towards the site from the ground and air route," Army spokesperson Narayan Silwal said, as per news agency ANI.
This has confirmed the suspicions of preliminary reports which traced the plane to Mt. Dhaulagiri where it seemingly diverted, before losing contact. The Nepal Army is currently moving towards the crash site where the missing Tara aircraft is suspected to be found.
Nepal plane goes missing
The passenger plane operated by a private airline in Nepal went missing on Sunday with 22 people on board, including four Indians. Tara Air 9 NAET twin-engine aircraft, en route to the Jomsom airport lost contact while flying over Pokhara, some 200 km northwest of the capital, Kathmandu. The aircraft, which was on a 17-minute scheduled flight, lost contact shortly after take-off at 9:55 am local time. The plane was hosting 4 Indians and 3 Japanese nationals. The remaining were Nepali citizens.
Following the incident, the Nepal government deployed two private helicopters as well as Army choppers in search of the missing aircraft. Speaking exclusively to Republic TV, Nepal Aviation Minister said that the plane lost contact due to cloudy weather in the higher reaches of Pokhara. Bad weather in the mountainous region of Mustang was hampering the rescue operations, he shared.
"The Tara Air lost contact due to cloudy weather in the higher reaches of Pokhara. Two Army choppers were sent to find traces of the missing plane but returned due to bad weather. The helicopter is now reaching the site of a possible crash, but nothing can be said so far," Prem Bahadur Ale said.
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Published May 29th, 2022 at 16:11 IST
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