Audio By Carbonatix
A plane crashed into a mountain in the Himalayas while trying to land at an airport in northern Nepal on Monday, killing 15 people and injuring six, some critically.
It was carrying two pilots and a flight attendant — all Nepalese — along with 16 Indians and two Danish citizens, both of whom survived, officials said.
Television footage showed the Danes being taken inside a hospital in the nearby city of Pokhara, the man being led on foot and the woman crying in pain as she was carried on a stretcher.
The plane was turning to land at Jomsom Airport when it crashed, said Laxmi Raj Sharma, chief government administrator in the area.
It broke into pieces but did not catch fire. Sharma said an initial investigation indicated the Dornier aircraft, which belonged to the local Agni Air company, might have had technical problems.
Rescue was swift because the plane crashed just few meters (yards) from an army camp at Jomsom.
The Danish tabloid Ekstra Bladet said it spoke to the Danish passengers by phone at the hospital and identified them as Emilie Joergensen and Andreas Rasch.
“We were thrown around. The seats were unfastened and we were squeezed between seats and bodies,” it quoted Joergensen as saying.
She said they had to climb over “hands and arms” to get out of the plane.
“I think it was easy for us to get out because we sat in the back and were closest to the exit,” Joergensen said.
She said they were on their way to Jomsom where they planned to go trekking.
The Jomsom airport is a gateway to a popular destination for trekkers and for Hindu pilgrims on their way to the revered Muktinath temple. It is about 200 kilometers (125 miles) northwest of Katmandu.
Nepalese Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai expressed his condolences over the deaths.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
GIZ, Zoomlion and Blue Skies launch InnoWaste Project to create jobs and tackle plastic waste in Ghana
46 seconds -
‘The emotional journey is difficult, but you don’t stop’ – Antoine Semenyo’s mother on diaspora struggle
6 minutes -
‘Football in Ghana is about blood and legacy’ – Antoine Semenyo’s mother urges diaspora parents
17 minutes -
QNET, Manchester City bring world-class football coaching to Ghana’s young talent
17 minutes -
Emma Ankrah: Between quiet questions and the will to continue
20 minutes -
Ghana’s economy shows strong recovery after “inherited crisis” – Ato Forson tells Parliament
22 minutes -
No further IMF financial bailout will be required in the foreseeable future – Finance Minister
23 minutes -
Learning from Ukraine, Hezbollah is now using fibre-optic drones to hit Israel
23 minutes -
Teenager arrested at Senya Beraku for alleged defilement of 15-year-old girl
24 minutes -
Ghana has moved from IMF ‘supplicant’ to partner – Ato Forson declares as economy surges past $100 Billion
26 minutes -
“Ghana has moved from ICU to wellness center” — Finance Minister declares economic recovery
48 minutes -
Ato Forson highlights “turning point” in economic recovery strategy
51 minutes -
NACSA Seminar: Gender Minister demands an increased role for women to end gun violence
57 minutes -
Full text: Statement on Ghana’s new engagement with IMF
1 hour -
US trade mission to visit Ghana
2 hours