No survivors as missing passenger plane “found crashed in jungle”
The Tara Air passenger plane carrying more than 20 people, including at least two foreign tourists, was declared missing, Wednesday morning.
Latest reports have it that the plan has been found “crashed” at Soli Ghoptebhir in Myagdi.
Local police say there are no survivors.
The Series 400 Twin Otter aircraft took off from Nepal’s second-largest city of Pokhara just before 8 a.m. local time on Wednesday and was due to fly an 18-minute flight to Jomsom Airport, reports say.
A search and rescue operation involving multiple army aircraft was launched after the plane failed to arrive on schedule.
Tara Air confirmed that one of its aircraft had gone missing in a brief statement offering little details.
“It is known that weather at both origin and destination airports was favorable and the [aircraft] was cleared for departure by the control tower at Pokhara,” it said.
Reports about the number of passengers on board the aircraft when it went missing are conflicting.
An airline spokesperson said 18 passengers and 3 crew members were on board, but police put the numbers at 20 passengers and 3 crew members. Local media circulated a list of passengers that showed 20 names, BNONews reports.
It is believed two infants and two foreign nationals, one from Kuwait and one from China, were among those on board.
Tara Air is yet to release a statement since the plane was located..
