Viral video claims to show Nepali plane moments before crash
Pokhara Plane Crash: A video claiming to show the Yeti Airline plane moments before it crashed in Nepal's Pokhara, shot with a phone camera, has gone viral on social media. There were 72 people on board, and at least 67 have been confirmed dead.
The video shows a low-flying plane dangerously tilting in mid-air, just before a loud bang can be heard in the background.
Several other social media videos, which appeared to be shot shortly after the crash, showed raging flames on the ground and black smoke billowing into the sky from debris strewn across the scene of the crash.
Yeti Airlines' twin-engine ATR 72 aircraft was flying from Nepal's capital Kathmandu when it crashed 20 minutes after takeoff, just before its scheduled landing in Pokhara.
A total of 68 passengers and four crew members were on board the Yeti airlines aircraft that crashed between the old airport and the Pokhara International Airport, The Kathmandu Post reported.
"10 foreign nationals, including 2 infants were on board," Sudarshan Bartaula, spokesperson of Yeti Airlines said. 53 Nepali, 5 Indian, 4 Russian, One Irish, 2 Koreans, 1 Argentinian and a French national were on board, airport authority informed.
Due to the harsh terrain and the use of smaller aircraft, Nepal has a poor record of air safety. Air accidents are common in Nepal, which is home to eight of the world's fourteen highest mountains, including Everest, because the weather can change quickly and lead to hazardous conditions.
- PTC NEWS
