Surkhet/Kathmandu, June 21, 2006

Nine persons aboard a Yeti Airlines twin otter were killed when the plane crashed at Jumla airport today.

Six passenger, a pilot, a co-pilot and a cabin attendant were killed on the spot, when the aircraft, 9NAEQ, crashed while landing and caught fire, according to Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.

According to Air Traffic Controller (ATC) Officer of Surkhet Airport, Mohan Jung Shahi, the plane that took off at 11:34 am from Surkhet airport crashed at 12 noon.

The crash occurred on the eastern side of the airport. According to the airport sources, the aircraft crashed as the pilot attempted landing some 100 metres ahead of the runway. Shahi said the same aircraft had conducted three flights for Bajura earlier today before going to Jumla.

He added that the plane had contacted the tower at Jumla a little while before the accident. Surkhet Station In-charge of Yeti Airlines, Phurwa Sherpa, said the plane was carrying 667 kg of rice for Jumla Food Corporation and 180 Kg of other miscellaneous stuff.

He claimed that there wasn’t any technical problem in the aircraft.

The deceased include pilot Kiran R Malla, co-pilot Dipak Pokhrel and cabin attendant Dipak Sherchan.

Rain means impure Pokhara water again

Pokhara denizens will have to face the problem of contaminated drinking water this monsoon also, thanks to the failure of the Nepal Drinking Water Corporation (NDWC) to begin the project of a water-treatment plant due to lack of funds.

The drinking water distributed in Pokhara during the monsoon usually gets contaminated because of lack of well-managed water sources and supply system. The problem has not quite hit Pokharelis yet, as the monsoon is yet to break.

According to engineer Jagadish Gautam of the NDWC, around Rs 280 million is required to instal the water treatment plant. He added that the work for the plant could not be initiated due to the failure of the government to allocate funds.

Pokhara NDWC chief Govinda Gauchan said consumers are supplied chlorine-treated water only. He added that the corporation supplies 23 million litres of water daily in different parts of Pokhara city. The actual demand is 33 million litres per day.

The supply sources of drinking water in Pokhara are Mardikhola, Kalimuda, Bhotikhola and Baldhara rivers.

The Mardikhola drinking water source alone accounts for 50 per cent of water supplied in the city.