Plane with 23 people crashed in Nepal

A Tara Twin-Otter plane with 23 people, including three crew members and two children, on board, reportedly crashed in Myagdi district in western Nepal on Wednesday morning.

SSP Mahendra Pokharel of Pokhara-based Gandaki Zonal Police Office said that the suspected crash site lies in Rupse Chhahari of Dana VDC in Myagdi district, The Himalayan Times reports.

The small aircraft (Twin-Otter 400-series with call sign 9N-AHH) had taken off from Pokhara for Jomsom at 7:50 am.

But it went out of contact of the control towers after some minutes.

Security personnel from Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and Nepal Army are heading towards the incident site, SSP Pokharel informed.

It is not clear what caused the crash. But Dana VDC and adjoining areas were enshrouded in cloud of dust on Tuesday following dry landslides in Mt Annapurna South base since Monday night.

“It is also known that weather at both origin and a destination airport was favorable and the airport was cleared for departure by the control tower at Pokhara,” Tara Air said in a statement.

According to Tara Air, three helicopters have been dispatched on a search and rescue mission.

The list of passengers showed that there were two foreigners, one each from Kuwait and and Chinese, on board the aircraft.

There were two children also, whose names were not included in the list.

The name list of passengers and crew members include: Lepsang Lama, Rewati Baral, Dolma Tsering, Sherpa, Ralarsidh Ahmed (Kuwait), Bal Krishna Niure, Mukti Nath Bastola, Binita Bhattachan, Krishna Lal Bhattachan, Moti Bahadur KC, Raj Kumar Tamang, Kamala Thakali, Kanchha Pariyar, Dil Kumari Gauchan, Devi Jung Gurung, Phenjok Gurung, Laxmi Hirachan, Pabitra KC, Myaksu Wayeji (Chinese national), Roshan Manandhar (pilot), Dikesh Nemkul (co-pilot) and Rama Raut (air hostess).