Nepal air crash: Toll rises to 29, Indian embassy opens helplines to help kin of deceased

Pokhara [Nepal], January 15 (ANI): Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority on Sunday confirmed that 29 passengers, on board the ATR-72 Yeti Airlines flight which crashed somewhere between the old airport of Pokhara region and the Pokhara International Airport, were confirmed dead.

The Kathmandu-Pokhara flight had 68 passengers, including five Indians, as well as four crew members.

An operation was underway to rescue the injured, the Indian embassy in Kathmandu informed through a tweet.

The embassy further informed that it was in contact with the local authorities. “We are deeply saddened by the crash of a plane carrying 72 passengers and crew members, including some Indians in Pokhara. We express our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased. Our thoughts and prayers at this time are with all those affected by this tragedy," Shankar P Sharma, the Indian ambassador to Nepal, tweeted.

Meanwhile, the Nepal government called an emergency meeting of the airport authorities in the light of the plane crash.

The India embassy helpline numbers — Diwakar Sharma: +977-9851107021 for Kathmandu and Lt Col Shashank Tripathi: +977-9856037699 for the Pokhara region — to help the kin of the deceased Indian passengers.

Images and videos of the crash posted on social media showed plumes of smoke billowing out of the crash site. 

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, aka Prachanda, directed the Home ministry, security personnel and all the government agencies to carry out immediate rescue and relief operations.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia also condoled the loss of lives in the Nepal aircrash, tweeting, "The loss of lives in a tragic plane crash in Nepal is extremely unfortunate. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the bereaved. Om Shanti." (ANI)