KATHMANDU, DEC 16 -
The remains of a Twin Otter aircraft belonging to Tara Air, which went missing on Wednesday with 22 people aboard, have been recovered at Sri Chaur VDC of Okhaldhunga district on Thursday morning.
All 22 people on board were killed in the mishap, sources have confirmed.
The aircraft met with an accident after it collided with the Palunge Hill in the district, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) Ramesh Shekhar Bajracharya informed.
Nepal Police and Nepal Army had reached the crash site earlier today for rescue operations.
It is reported that 15 bodies have been recovered in whole and the rest have been collected in pieces.
The identification process of the deceased has been impeded owing to the fragmentation, sources confirmed.
The aircraft, which took off from from the Lamidada Airport in Khotang district at 3.08 p.m. yesterday, went out of contact after five minutes.
It was headed for the TIA from Khotang with 18 Bhutanese nationals, one foreigner, and three crewmembers on board.
The Kathmandu Post's previous report is as follows:
Aircraft missing with 22 on board
SANGAM PRASAIN
A Twin Otter aircraft belonging to Tara Air went missing on Wednesday with 22 people on board. The Rescue Coordination Centre at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) suspected that the aircraft crashed in Kunta Devi Village Development Committee in Okhaldhunga district.
Spokesperson at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation Laxman Prasad Bhattarai said they are yet to confirm if the aircraft that took off from Lamidanda in Khotang district to Kathmandu crashed. According to him, helicopters have been sent to look for the missing aircraft. However, the search mission was cancelled late in the evening due to heavy clouds.
According to the Post’s Khotang correspondent, Deputy Superintendent of Police Tek Bahadur Tamang said the plane did not land in any airport nearby.
The aircraft took off at 03: 08 p.m. and was scheduled to land in Kathmandu at 8: 40 p.m.
Along with Captain Anup Raj Shakya, Co-pilot Sachindra Shrestha and Air Hostess Sudiksha Gurung, there were 18 Bhutanese and one foreigner in the flight, the airline said. The Bhutanese were in Nepal to take part in the SAARC Trade Fair in Kathmandu.
Locals of Okhaldhunga said they heard a loud sound across Musunga Khola. “Police and Army personnel have been sent to comb the area,” chief of the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at the TIA, Kamlesh Lal Karna, quoted the CDO of Okhaldhunga as saying.
ATC officer at the Kathmandu airport, Bhes Raj Adhikari, said the pilot had contacted the tower at around 03: 13 pm as part of its regular reporting and no technical difficulties had been reported then. While the weather in the sector was fair, the ATC declared an emergency when the flight failed to establish contact for almost 30 minutes.
General Manager at the TIA Dinesh Shrestha said the search mission will continue on Thursday morning.
Passengers on missing Tara Air flight
1. Mr. T. R Tamang
2. Mrs. G. Sherpa
3. Mr. K. Sherpa
4. Mr. S. Tamang
5. Mrs. S. Tamang
6. Mr. T.R Tamang
7. Mr. T.G Lama
8. Mr. K.W Lama
9. Mrs. P Tamang
10. Mr. K. N Lama
11. Mr. Z. D Sherpa
12. Mrs. L. W Sherpa
13. Mrs. S. B Lama
14. Mr. T Sherpa
15. Mrs. T.Y Sherpa
16. Mrs. P. W Tamang
17. Mrs. D.B Tamang
18. Mr. T. W Sherpa
19. Mr. Chodek Kelsang (American passport)
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