Nepal plane crash: 4 Indian passengers who died were supposed to take a bus for Pokhara, changed plan and boarded flight

The twin-engine ATR 72 aircraft operated by Yeti Airlines, going from Kathmandu to Pokhara on Sunday, crashed into a river gorge on the bank of the Seti River, barely 20 minutes after taking off.

There were 53 Nepali, 5 Indian, 4 Russian, 2 Korean passengers on board along with one each from Argentina, Ireland, Australia, and France.

Four friends from Ghazipur among the deceased

Four of the five Indians have been identified as Vishal Sharma, Sonu Jaiswal, Anil Rajbhar and Abhishek Kushwaha, all friends and residents of Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh. They were in Nepal for a holiday.

A common friend of the four named Dilip Verma was in shock after hearing about the unfortunate incident and revealed that after offering prayers at the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, all 4 of them had a video chat with him and told him that they were going to Pokhara on a bus, India Today reported.

However, Verma said, "they later changed the plan and took a flight instead".

Four friends who had gone to Nepal for holiday

One of the deceased, Sonu Jaiswal, who was doing a Facebook live at the time of the crash, ran a wine shop, said Dilip Verma, adding that he is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.

Another Indian killed in the crash, Anil Kumar Rajbhar (28), had a farming background and ran a public service centre, as per locals. Abhishek Kushwaha (25) also ran a shop.

The 23-year-old Vishal Sharma was the youngest among the four, and looked after the finance department at a two-wheeler showroom.

Sanjay Jaiswal (26), the fifth Indian who died in the crash, was from Bihar’s Sitamarhi. He was going to Pokhara to meet his sister, who had just had a baby.

Nepal plane crash

At least 68 people were killed when a Nepalese passenger plane with 72 people on board, including 10 foreigners, crashed into a river gorge on Sunday while landing at the Pokhara airport.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), Yeti Airlines' 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft took off from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport at 10:33 am. Pokhara is a major tourist destination in the Himalayan nation.

While landing at the Pokhara airport, the aircraft crashed on the bank of the Seti River between the old airport and the new airport. There were a total of 68 passengers and four crew members.

Published on: Monday, January 16, 2023, 03:41 PM IST