Rescue workers inspect wreckage at the site of the Yeti Airlines plane crash in Pokhara on January 16, 2023.
Prakash Matema | Afp | Getty Images
Investigators on Monday found both a cockpit voice recorder and a flight data recorder from the airliner that crashed on Sunday, killing at least 68 people in the deadliest Nepalese plane crash in 30 years.
The recorder data could help investigators determine why an ATR 72 aircraft carrying 72 people crashed in clear skies just before landing in the tourist city of Pokhara.
Both recorders are in good condition and will be sent for analysis based on the manufacturer’s recommendations, Kathmandu airport official Teknath Sitaula told Reuters on Monday.
More than 24 hours after the crash, rescuers battled cloudy weather and poor visibility while searching the river gorge for missing passengers. 68 bodies were recovered.
Reuters footage from the crash site showed rescuers looking at the charred wreckage of the plane near a mountain canyon.
There were 57 Nepalese, 5 Indians, 4 Russians, 2 Koreans, Argentines, Irish, There was one person each from Australia and France.
Pokhara police official Ajayi KC said search and rescue operations, which had been halted due to darkness on Sunday, had resumed.
“We will remove five bodies from the ravine and search for the remaining four who are still missing,” he told Reuters.
The remaining 63 bodies were taken to hospital, he said. A Pokhara airport spokesperson also said the weather was hampering rescue efforts, but clouds were expected to clear later in the day.
Nearly 350 people have died in plane and helicopter crashes since 2000 in Nepal, home to eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains, including Mount Everest.
Aviation accidents are usually caused by a combination of factors, and investigations can take months or longer, experts say.
India’s aviation regulator said it would take all steps to ensure safe aviation in the country’s airspace.
Nepal declared a national day of mourning on Monday and set up a panel to investigate the disaster and suggest measures to avoid such incidents in the future.
