Nepal plane crash site Pokhara Airport built with China’s assistance

The passenger flight of Nepal's Yeti Airline has reinstated the horror of several fatal plane crash that has plagued the small Himalayan nation of Nepal. Sunday's plane crash incident has been marked the worst in the past five years. A plane with 72 passengers on board crashed just 10-20 secs before landing at the newly constructed Pokhara airport in Nepal. 

The plane fell partially into the river Seti and part of it remained on bank. While landing at the Pokhara airport around 11 am on Sunday, the Yeti Airlines airplane crashed on the bank of the Seti River between the old airport and the new airport.

The Pokhara International Airport was reportedly inaugurated two weeks ago by Nepal’s newly-appointed Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and built with Chinese assistance.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the airplane had received permission to land, MyRepublica newspaper reported.

"Weather was not a problem, preliminary information has been received that the plane crashed due to technical reasons. Information has been received that flames were seen in the plane while it was still air-borne,” Gyanendra Bhul, information officer at CANN, was quoted as saying in the report.

"The plane would have reached the runway in 10 seconds. However, it met with an accident mid-way,” the airport's air traffic controller told MyRepublica newspaper.

The Nepal government on Sunday formed a five-member commission of inquiry to probe the plane crash.

Here's key points about Pokhara airport

-Built in the backdrop of the pristine Annapurna Mountain Range, the airport was officially inaugurated on 1 January 2023.

-The flagship project was part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation.

-The Nepal government signed a USD 215.96 million soft loan agreement with China in March 2016 for the construction of the airport in this tourist hub, according to Kathmandu Post newspaper.

-Last year, former Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi handed over the Pokhara Regional International Airport to the then Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, during a courtesy call held at Baluwatar.

-Speaking at the airport’s inauguration ceremony, Prachanda said aerial connectivity is the most effective means of connectivity for a landlocked country like Nepal.

"With the opening of this airport, Pokhara's relationship with the international region has been established,” he said.

While landing at the Pokhara airport around 11 am on Sunday, the Yeti Airlines airplane crashed on the bank of the Seti River between the old airport and the new airport.