KATHMANDU: Searchers used drones and abseiled down a 200-metre (656ft) deep gorge in western Nepal on Tuesday to search for two passengers still missing after the country’s deadliest plane crash in 30 years, which has killed at least 70 people.
Difficult terrain and bad weather hampered rescue efforts near the tourist town of Pokharawhere the Yeti Airlines ATR 72 turboprop carrying 72 people crashed in clear weather Sunday just before landing.
“There is thick fog here now. We are sending search and rescue personnel using ropes to the gorge where parts of the plane fell and were on fire,” Ajay KC told Reuters. a Pokhara police official who is part of the rescue efforts. .
Searchers found two more bodies on Monday before the search was called off due to dimming light.
“There were young children among the passengers. Some may have been burned and died, and may not be discovered. We will continue to search for them,” KC said.
Television channels have shown images of crying parents waiting for the bodies of their loved ones outside a hospital where autopsies are being carried out in Pokhara.
On Monday, searchers found the flight’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder both in good condition, a finding that should help investigators determine the cause of the crash.
Under international aviation rules, the accident investigation agencies of the countries where the aircraft and engines were designed and built are automatically part of the investigation.
ATR is based in France and the engines for the aircraft were manufactured in Canada by Pratt & Whitney Canada.
French and Canadian air accident investigators have announced their intention to participate in the investigation.
Difficult terrain and bad weather hampered rescue efforts near the tourist town of Pokharawhere the Yeti Airlines ATR 72 turboprop carrying 72 people crashed in clear weather Sunday just before landing.
“There is thick fog here now. We are sending search and rescue personnel using ropes to the gorge where parts of the plane fell and were on fire,” Ajay KC told Reuters. a Pokhara police official who is part of the rescue efforts. .
Searchers found two more bodies on Monday before the search was called off due to dimming light.
“There were young children among the passengers. Some may have been burned and died, and may not be discovered. We will continue to search for them,” KC said.
Television channels have shown images of crying parents waiting for the bodies of their loved ones outside a hospital where autopsies are being carried out in Pokhara.
On Monday, searchers found the flight’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder both in good condition, a finding that should help investigators determine the cause of the crash.
Under international aviation rules, the accident investigation agencies of the countries where the aircraft and engines were designed and built are automatically part of the investigation.
ATR is based in France and the engines for the aircraft were manufactured in Canada by Pratt & Whitney Canada.
French and Canadian air accident investigators have announced their intention to participate in the investigation.
