Jan 16,2022:Rescuers in Nepal have resumed searching for four people still missing after the Himalayan nation’s deadliest plane crash in 30 years, as the Himalayan nation observes a day of mourning.
Rescuers recovered 68 bodies out of the 72 people on board the ATR 72 aircraft operated by Yeti Airlines that crashed in the tourist city of Pokhara minutes before landing on Sunday in clear weather.
The plane, on a scheduled 27-minute flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara, gateway to the scenic Annapurna mountain range, was carrying 57 Nepalis, five Indians, four Russians, two South Koreans, and one person each from Argentina, Ireland, Australia and France.
Rescuers were battling cloudy weather and poor visibility as they scoured the the 300-metre (1,000-foot) deep river gorge for passengers who were unaccounted for, more than 24 hours after the crash.
Debris from the airliner was strewn across the crash site, including the mangled remains of passenger seats and the plane’s white-coloured fuselage.
Hopes of survivors ‘nil’
Soldiers used ropes and stretchers to retrieve bodies from the ravine late into the night, with recovery efforts resuming on Monday.
“We have collected 68 bodies so far. We are searching for four more bodies. We should continue until we get the bodies,” senior local official Tek Bahadur KC told AFP.
“We pray for a miracle. But the hope of finding anyone alive is nil,” he said.
Authorities said bodies will be handed over to families after identification and examination.
