KATHMANDU, JANUARY 17

Rescue authorities managed to recover one of the two missing bodies from the Yeti Airlines crash site in Pokhara today.

With this, 71 bodies have been recovered, of which 48 have been brought to Kathmandu and sent to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital for post-mortem, whereas 23 bodies are still in Pokhara, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

The authorities started handing over the identified bodies to their respective families today.

As the plane had fallen into a ravine, the crash site is difficult to navigate and the search has been prolonged, an officer of the district police of Kaski told THT. Teams of the Nepali Army, Armed Police Force, Nepal Police, and rescue personnel have been deployed at the location since Sunday to intensify the search.

During a meeting today, the aviation authority informed the newly-appointed Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Civil Aviation Sudan Kirati, of the ongoing recovery operations and the initial findings related to the crash of Yeti Airlines plane along with the overall aviation safety situation of the country.

On the occasion, Kirati directed the authority to carry out all necessary works and to leave no stone unturned in the search and recovery process.

On Sunday, a Yeti Airlines flight NYT691 with call sign 9N-ANC carrying 72 souls on board, including four crew members, had crashed into a gorge in Pokhara after taking off from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu at 10:32am, in one of the deadliest air disasters in the country. Along with 71 bodies, the FVR and CVR have been recovered so far.

The Associated Press has quoted Jagannath Niraula, spokesperson for CAAN, as saying that the voice recorder would be analysed locally, but that the flight data recorder would be sent to France.

The Himalayan Times was unable to reach Niraula as his cell phone was switched off and he did not respond to messages requesting comment.

The aircraft's manufacturer, ATR, is headquartered in Toulouse.

As per the AP report, the French air accident investigations agency confirmed it was taking part in the investigation, and its representatives were already on site.

Meanwhile, issuing a statement, the Hotel Association Nepal has expressed its condolences to the bereaved families. Stating that such frequent accidents have tarnished the country's image, the association has stressed that it is the responsibility of the state and all the concerned bodies to prioritise and maintain air safety in the country.

'To ensure safe travel and to prevent such accidents from happening in the future, we demand efficient management to guarantee that there is no shortcoming in terms of safety by effectively implementing regular tests and maintaining safety standards of the aircraft and air transport systems,' the statement reads.

The association has also suggested conducting regular tests through an internationally accredited organisation.

A version of this article appears in the print on January 18, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.