18 feared killed in Nepal passenger plane crash

All 18 persons on board a Nepal Airlines plane are believed to have been killed when a small twin otter aircraft reportedly crashed during a routine flight in Nepal's Arghakhanchi district on Sunday.

Updated on: Feb 16, 2014, 17:34:43 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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All 18 persons on board a Nepal Airlines plane are believed to have been killed when a small twin otter aircraft reportedly crashed during a routine flight in Nepal's Arghakhanchi district on Sunday.

The aircraft belonging to the state carrier lost contact with ground soon after taking off from the tourist town of Pokhara while on its way to Jumla, located some 214 miles west of Kathmandu.

Nearly three hours after it went missing local TV channel reported that debris of the aircraft was detected at Khidim, located around 30 kilometres from the district headquarters of Arghakhanchi.

The police search and rescue team has been sent to the site but there is no official confirmation of the crash yet.

"The aircraft with 15 passengers and 3 crew members went missing soon after it left for Jumla. But there is no news yet of a crash," said Nepal Police spokesperson Ganesh KC.

According to a Nepal Airlines official the aircraft was flying from Kathmandu to Jumla and had stopped at Pokhara for refueling. It took off from the tourist town at 12.40pm and soon lost contact with ground.

"Since there has been no contact yet with the aircraft we fear that it may have crashed," said MK Moktan, representative of Nepal Airlines based in Pokhara.

He added that rescue helicopters belonging to Nepal Army and private operators have been sent to Khidim, but they have not been able to reach the alleged crash site due to poor weather.

The latest incident is another setback for the aviation industry in Nepal which has seen several crashes in recent years.

In December last year European Union had blacklisted all airlines operators in the Himalayan nation for their poor safety record.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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