New Delhi: Tara Air's 9 NAET twin-engine aircraft which had lost contact with the authorities on Sunday morning has been found in Kowang village of Mustang district, said the Tribhuvan International Airport chief, reported news agency ANI. The airport chief furhter said that the status of the aircraft is yet to be ascertained.
However, the rescue operation has been called off for today due to snowfall at the possible air crash site, said Premnath Thakur, General Manager, TIA. "Due to the snowfall at the possible air crash site, the search and rescue operation has been called off for today. All the helicopters deployed for search and rescue have been called back to bases," Thakur said, reported the news agency.
With 22 passengers and the crew on board, Tara Air's 9 NAET twin-engine aircraft flying from Pokhara to Jomsom at 9:55 am on Sunday, lost contact with the authorities, the news agency had reported. Out of 22 passengers, 4 were Indian while 3 were Japanese nationals while the rest were Nepal citizens.
As per the information given by locals to the Nepal Army, the Tara Air plane crashed at the mouth of the Lamche river under the landslide of Manapathi Himal. Army spokesperson Narayan Silwal said that the Nepal Army was moving towards the site from the ground and air route, reported the news agency.
"The aircraft was seen over the sky of Jomsom in Mustang district and then had diverted to Mount Dhaulagiri after which it hadn't come into contact," chief district officer Netra Prasad Sharma told ANI.
“The Nepal home ministry has deployed two private helicopters from Mustang and Pokhara for the search for the missing aircraft. The Nepal Army chopper is also being prepared to be deployed for the search operation,” an ANI report quoted spokesperson of the home ministry Phadindra Mani Pokharel as saying.