A missing passenger plane has been found in Nepal, according to the military. Army spokesman Narayan Salwal said on Monday that a search team had located the wreckage and reinforcements were on the way. No information was initially provided about the fate of 22 prisoners, including two Germans.
Radio contact with the machine was lost on Sunday morning shortly after it took off from the western city of Pokhara. In addition to the three crew members, there were 19 passengers on board, including two Germans and four Indians.
The Tara Air was on its way to Jomsom, a popular mountain trekking base in the Himalayas just 20 minutes from Pokhara, Nepal’s second largest city, when it lost contact. According to the flight observer, the machine at that time was above the village of Gurbani, which is 2870 meters above sea level.
Remote and difficult airstrips
The German Foreign Ministry in Berlin said the German embassy in Kathmandu was “working hard to clarify the matter” and was in contact with the Nepalese authorities.
Aviation in Nepal has been booming for years and is expanding for both tourists and cargo transportation. However, the safety standards are low due to insufficient training of personnel and poor maintenance of the machines. Therefore, the European Union banned all Nepalese airlines from entering its airspace.
Additionally, the Himalayas is home to some of the most remote and challenging airstrips. The weather in the mountains of Nepal can change rapidly, creating dangerous flying conditions. (AFP)
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