Snowfall at Tara Air plane crash site, only 19 bodies collected

UDDATE

DANA (MYAGDI): Rescuers have collected 19 charred bodies of the people from the Soli Ghoptebhir area of Dana VDC-2 of Myagdi district in western Nepal where the Tara Air's 9N-AHH aircraft crashed earlier this morning.

Bodies of four other victims are yet to be collected.

Out of 19 bodies collected so far, the bodies of two infants were not burned much, while the rest are charred and are beyond recognition.

As the aircraft collided with the cliff, it was burned and its wreckage and the bodies of victims were scattered in the cliffy area, according Constable Bijaya Sharma, who was involved in the rescue operation.

According to him, collection of bodies has witnessed difficulties due to snowfall at the crash site.

A Nepal Army helicopter that came for rescue operation could not land due to continous rain and snowfall and returned.

Currently, Nepal Police personnel and locals are carryig out rescue operation.

According to Constable Sharma, due to bad weather it is not possible to look for the remaining bodies today.  “There is no condition at all to go into the ravine and comb the area for other bodies,” he said.

A team of 30 Nepal Army personnel have set up a camp at Harme of Dana VDC, which is about an hour walk from the crash site.

Earlier this afternoon, police constables Phul Kumar Thapa from the Dana-based Area Police Post, and the locals had discovered the crash site.

Although the bodies of the victims are yet to be identified, Rewati Baral and Muktinath Banstola of Kaski, Binita Bhattachan of Mustang, Krishna Lal Bhattachan, Dil Kumari Gauchan, Devi Jung Gurung, Fenjok Gurung, Laxmi Hirachan and Kanchha Pariyar were among the 21 people on board, according to Kashinath Poudel, Chief Administrator at the Civil Aviation Authority's Pokhara Office.

Similarly, Moti Bahadur KC, Pabitra KC, Lepsang Lama, Bal Krishna Niure, Dolma Tshering Sherpa, Rajkumari Tamang, Kamala Thakali, Chinese national Mak (passport no K036359770) and Kuwaiti national Ralrashed AA Ahamad were also travelling in the same aircraft. The name of the two minors is yet to be ascertained.

The cabin crew members were identified as captain Roshan Manandhar, co-pilot Dikesh Nemkul and air hostess Rama Rawat.

Meanwhile, thick fog shrouding the surroundings at the incident site, resulting in poor visibility, is suspected to have caused the plane crash.

The plane belonging to Tara Air that took off for Jomson from Pokhara at 7:50 am today and lost it contact with the tower some ten minutes later, was found crashed near Soleghopte cliff at Dana VDC-2 in Myagdi.

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