KATHMANDU: Authorities resumed the search and rescue operation in the remote Soli Ghoptebhir of Dana VDC, in Myagdi district, where Tara Air’s passenger aircraft fatally crashed yesterday, on Thursday morning.

Nepal Police headquarters said as many as 20 bodies have been recovered till now and the operation is smoothly going on since 8 in the morning today.

The operation was suspended yesterday owing to bad weather including snowfall. By Wednesday evening, only 19 bodies were collected.

All persons aboard the ill-fated aircraft including three crew members and 20 passengers were confirmed dead in the accident.

A 24-member Nepal Army troop under the command of Major Surya Singkhada and a 10-member Nepal Police team under the command of Police Inspector Suryakanta Pandit are working in the incident site since this morning, according to police.

Before this, an 81-member Nepal Police team led by SSP Chhabilal Joshi and another 35-member Armed Police Force team led by DSP Balaram Lamichhane were mobilised in the site since yesterday.

As many as 10 bodies have been brought to Dana-4 as of 12 pm today, according to police.

READ ALSO:

• Nepal records 14th fatal airplane crash since turn of century

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has formed a five-member panel,  led by former Director General of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Rajesh Raj Dali,  to look into the fatal air crash.

It includes Nepal Army Air Directorate’s Colonel Deepak Banstola, Nepal Airlines Corporation’s Captain Shrawan Rijal and Simrik Air’s Senior Engineer Ram Prasad Koirala as members.

Joint-Secretary Suresh Acharya at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation is Member-Secretary of the Commission.

The panel is mandated to submit the report within 90 days, according to a statement issued by the MoCTCA.