A small plane taking tourists on a sightseeing trip around Mount Everest crashed into a hillside near the Nepalese capital Kathmandu yesterday, killing all 19 people on board.
The Buddha Air Beechcraft plane, carrying 10 Indians, two Americans, one Japanese citizen and three local passengers, came down in heavy rain and fog at Godavari, about 10 kilometres from Kathmandu.
The three Nepalese crew also died in the accident as the plane smashed into wooded slopes, leaving the fuselage broken into several pieces.
“All 19 people have died. The Buddha Air-103 was returning from a mountain flight when it crashed into Kotdada Hill,” Bimlesh Lal Karna, head of the rescue department at Tribhuwan International Airport, said.
Police spokesman Binod Singh said one person initially survived the crash but died in hospital.
“The rescue efforts have been hampered by heavy rain,” he added, confirming the nationalities of the passengers.
Airport authorities on the ground lost contact with the plane at 7.30 a.m. and it crashed minutes later.
“When we reached the crash site, we found the dead bodies scattered within 25 metres of the site which is surrounded by trees,” Dip Shamsher Rana, a police officer who took part in the rescue, said.
Witnesses told local TV stations how the plane burst into flames on impact.
“The plane was flying very low. We were surprised. It crashed into the hill and there was a huge explosion,” one man told the Avenues Television news channel.
Investigators scouring the accident site found the black box flight recorder several hours after the crash, and police said a probe was underway to establish the cause of the accident.
Buddha Air, a private airline based in Kathmandu, said it had initiated an internal investigation into the crash.
The company offers a 8,240 rupee ($140) “Everest Experience” package, taking tourists from Kathmandu and flying them around the world’s tallest mountain and surrounding peaks. The Buddha Air website describes the Beechcraft as the “safest plane operating in the domestic sector”.
The one-hour flights are popular among tourists, and several companies offer daily trips to view the 8,848 metres Everest summit.
Aviation accidents are relatively common in Nepal, particularly during the summer monsoon when visibility is often poor.