New Delhi: Nepal has had numerous plane crashes in the past. These unfortunate incidents are a result of the harsh mountainous terrain, unpredictable weather, a lack of investment in new planes and infrastructure, and inadequate regulation. Over the past 30 years, at least 27 fatal plane crashes have occurred in Nepal, according to the Aviation Safety database.
A Yeti Airlines ATR 72 carrying 72 passengers crashed in Pokhara, Nepal, at 11 a.m. on Sunday, killing at least 68 people. The aircraft, which had 68 passengers and four crew members aboard, crashed about 20 minutes after taking off from Kathmandu for Pokhara, a few kilometers from the destination, according to preliminary reports. Images shared on social media showed smoke billowing from the crash site, indicating that rescue efforts are underway.
Here's A Timeline Of Plane Crashes In Nepal
2022 Tara Air Flight 197
A Tara Air plane with 22 people on board, including four Indians, vanished in Nepal's Mustang district on May 29 last year. The plane, a turboprop Twin Otter 9N-AET, was traveling from Pokhara to Jomsom, which is located in the center of Nepal.
2018 Crash Of US-Bangla Airlines Flight 211
On March 12, 2018, US-Bangla Airlines, a privately owned Bangladeshi airline, was flying from Dhaka to Kathmandu in a 76-seat Bombardier Q400. While landing at the Tribhuvan International Airport, it went down. On board, 51 of the 71 people were killed.
2016 Tara Air Flight 193
On February 24, 2016, eight minutes after takeoff, a Tara Air flight carrying 23 people from Pokhara to Jomsom vanished. After that, it was discovered in the mountainous area of Myagdi with no survivors. Bad weather reportedly contributed to the crash.
2012 Crash Of Sita Air Flight 601
On September 29, 2012, a Sita Air passenger plane with its headquarters in Kathmandu sank into a river en route from the capital of Nepal to the mountain town of Lukla, killing all 19 people on board. According to reports, the pilot's error was the cause.
Crash Of Agni Air Dornier 228 In 2012
A Dornier 228 belonging to private airline Agni Air crashed near the Jomsom airport on May 14, 2012, while it was en route from Pokhara to Jomsom. There were 21 people aboard, 15 of whom, including both pilots, perished. Six people were rescued from the crash site.
2011 Crash Of The Buddha Air Flight BHA-103
A Beechcraft belonging to the airline Buddha Air went down in the Lalitpur district of the Kathmandu valley on September 25, 2011. 10 Indian nationals, out of the 22 on board, were killed. Pilot fatigue and poor visibility were later cited by a panel that investigated the crash.
Crash Of Tara Air Twin Otter In 2010
A DHC-6 Twin Otter plane carrying passengers from Lamidanda to Kathmandu went down shortly after takeoff on December 15, 2010. Three crew members, along with all 22 passengers, perished.
2010 Crash Of Agni Air Flight 101
All 14 passengers on Agni Air Flight 101, which was en route from Kathmandu to Lukla on August 24, 2010, perished in a crash near Bastipur on a hillside minutes after takeoff. The pilot's "loss of spatial orientation due to the loss of the attitude indicator in instrument meteorological conditions with visibility of less than 500 meters" was the cause of the accident, according to the probe panel.
Flight 101 Of Yeti Airlines In 2008
At least 18 people, including 12 Germans and two Australians, were killed when a small private plane owned by Yeti Airlines crashed on October 8, 2008, in the remote mountains of Lukla, in northeastern Nepal. Only one crew member made it through.
Crash Of The Yeti Airlines Twin Otter In 2006
A flight operated by Nepal's Yeti Airlines crashed at the Jumla airport on June 21, 2006. The crash resulted in the deaths of six of the nine passengers, a pilot, a co-pilot, and a cabin attendant.
2002 Crash Of The Shangri-La Air Twin Otter
A Shangrila Air plane carrying 18 people, including 15 tourists from abroad, crashed on August 22, 2002, in the country's resort town of Pokhara, killing everyone on board. 13 Germans, one Briton, one American, and three crew members were killed.
Crash Of Royal Nepal Airlines In 2000
At Dadeldhura in western Nepal on July 27, 2000, a Royal Nepal Airlines flight carrying 22 passengers and three foreign crew members crashed. 25 people perished.