Nepal Chopper Crash: An Air Dynasty chopper carrying 4 Chinese nationals crashed near the Nepali capital of Kathmandu on Wednesday. The incident occurred in the afternoon in the Shivpuri area of Nuwakot municipality of the Bagmati province. 


The Syabrubesi (Shyphru Bensi)-bound chopper took off northwards from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport. The four Chinese nationals were scheduled to move to Rasuwa from Shyphru Bensi. All 5 occupants of the chopper, including senior captain Arun Malla, were killed in the crash.


According to the Himalayan Times, the air traffic controller at Tribhuvan International Airport lost contact with the chopper within three minutes of take-off.


The Kathmandu Times quoted a spokesperson for Nepal Police, DIG Dan Bahadur Karki, that the crash site was in Siyachour.


 



The burning debris of the chopper that crashed in Nepal. (Pic: Nepal Police)


The Nepal Police in a statement said: "Police reached the scene after the locals saw smoke and removed the dead bodies of 1 woman and 4 men." According to Nepal News, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli grieved the loss of lives. He cut short a meeting with Valley Mayor's Forum officials at Sinhadarbar after the news of the chopper crash broke.


Nepal Plane Crash


The incident comes within a fortnight of the Kathmandu plane crash that claimed 18 lives. The Saurya Airlines aircraft crashed on July 24 while taking off from the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. 


The plane skidded off the runway and burst into flames immediately after crashing. According to witnesses present at the scene, the Mitsubishi CRJ-200ER listed to one side during take off. As the wing tip hit the ground, the plane crashed and caught fire. The aircraft then dropped into a gorge on the eastern side of the Tribhuvan International Airport runway.


Last year on January 15, 72 people were killed in a Yeti Airlines plane crash in Nepal's Pokhara region. It was the worst flight disaster in Nepal's history. The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder of the ill-fated plane indicated engine malfunction to have been the reason for the crash of the aircraft.