Nepal forms panel to investigate fatal air crash =

Kathmandu (dpa) - The government formed a panel to investigate the Nepal Airlines crash that killed all 18 people aboard, authorities said Tuesday.

The Twin Otter plane was on a domestic flight when it crashed with 18 people on board in bad weather Sunday, in Masinalekh village of Argakhanchi district.

The Civil Aviation Authority said the panel was headed by its former director general Tri Ratna Manandhar. A pilot, an aeronautical engineer and the secretary of Civil Aviation Ministry are also on  the team, which is expected to submit a report within two months.

The bodies of the crash victims were to be handed over to relatives after autopsy on Tuesday. The body of a Danish passenger would be handed over to the Denmark Embassy in Kathmandu.

Contact with the plane was lost 33 minutes after takeoff, as it was en route from the western lake city of Pokhara to Jumla in the north.

The Kathmandu Post daily quoted aviation experts as saying the 43-year old Canadian-built plane did not have de-icing capability, which might have contributed to the crash.

Nepal has a poor aviation safety record. Last year, the European Union blacklisted Nepal's airlines on the grounds of unsatisfactory safety standards. In its 60 years of aviation history, Nepal has recorded more than 70 crashes in which more than 700 people have died.

# dpa NOTEBOOK

## Internet
- [Setopati: list of occupants](http://dpaq.de/q1LrU)

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The following information is not for publication

## dpa Contacts
- Reporting by: Pratibha Tuladhar
- Editing by: Thomas Long
Tel: +66 2 7142073; <englishservice@dpa.com>
dpa pt tlo

2ND LEAD: Bodies of all 18 Nepal air crash victims retrieved

By Pratibha Tuladhar, dpa
Eds: Fixes typo in graf 1; releads with bodies being airlifted, quotes authorities =

Kathmandu (dpa) - The bodies of 18 people killed in a plane crash in western Nepal at the weekend were retrieved and sent to the capital Kathmandu on Monday, authorities said.

The Nepal Airlines Twin Otter plane was on a domestic flight when it crashed with 18 people on board in bad weather Sunday, in Masinalekh village of Argakhanchi district.

“All 18 bodies were recovered and have been airlifted to Kathmandu. They will be sent to the Teaching Hospital first, for post-mortem,” said district officer Sagar Mani Pathak.

“The Civil Aviation Authority has taken control of the black box and will be forwarding it for investigation.”

The recovery of the bodies was delayed because the crash site was on a high hillside, with no place for helicopters to land nearby.
Rescuers had difficulty reaching the site in heavy snow.

The aviation authority said there were 14 adult passengers, one child and three crew on the plane. One of the passengers was from Denmark, and the rest were Nepalese.

Among those killed were a teacher, a journalist, army officer, government officials, and a nurse along with her 4-year-old son.

Contact with the plane was lost 33 minutes after takeoff. The authority said it had left the western lake city of Pokhara and was bound for Jumla in the north. The country had been hit by heavy snow and rain over a period of four days.

Nepal has a poor aviation safety record. Last year, the European Union blacklisted Nepal's airlines on the grounds of unsatisfactory safety standards. In its 60 years of aviation history, Nepal has recorded more than 70 crashes in which more than 700 people have died.

# dpa NOTEBOOK

## Internet
- [Setopati: list of occupants](http://dpaq.de/q1LrU)

* * * *
The following information is not for publication

## dpa Contacts
- Reporting by: Pratibha Tuladhar
- Editing by: Sean Sampson
Tel: +66 2 7142073; <englishservice@dpa.com>
dpa pt ses tlo

LEAD: Sixteen bodies recovered from Nepal plane crash site

Eds: Releads with rescuers reaching site, bodies recovered, quotes authorities =

Kathmandu (dpa) - Sixteen bodies were recovered Monday from an aeroplane that crashed with 18 people aboard in western Nepal, police said.

Rescue teams of police and soldiers arrived in the morning at the crash site in Masinalekh village of Argakhanchi district.

“We have recovered 16 bodies so far. Not all are in a condition in which they can be identified. We managed to land a small helicopter about 200 metres from the crash site and are trying to collect the bodies,” police officer Bam Bahadur Bhandari said by phone from the crash site.

The Nepal Airlines Twin Otter plane was on a domestic flight when it went missing with 18 people on board in bad weather Sunday.

Argakhanchi district officer Sagar Mani Pathak said the crash site was on a high hill covered by heavy snow, which made it difficult for rescuers to reach.

“Technically, I can’t say what might have gone wrong, but so far it appears like the bad weather could have caused the crash,” Bhandari said.

He said the bodies would be airlifted to Kathmandu.

“We’re still trying to find a place where we can land the army’s rescue helicopter. The crash site is steep, where it is difficult for helicopters to land.”

About 100 rescuers had arrived at the location.

The Nepal Civil Aviation Authority said there were 14 adult passengers, one infant and three crew on the plane. One of the passengers was from  Denmark, and the rest were Nepalese.

Avenues TV said all 18 bodies had been recovered.

Contact with the plane was lost 33 minutes after takeoff. The authority said it had left the western lake city of Pokhara and was bound for Jumla in the north. Nepal had been hit by heavy snow and rain over a period of four days.

Nepal has a poor aviation safety record. Last year, the European Union blacklisted Nepal's airlines on the grounds of unsatisfactory safety standards. In its 60 years of aviation history, Nepal has recorded more than 70 crashes in which more than 700 people have died.

# dpa NOTEBOOK

## Internet
- [Setopati: list of occupants](http://dpaq.de/q1LrU)

* * * *
The following information is not for publication

## dpa Contacts
- Reporting by: Pratibha Tuladhar
- Editing by: Thomas Long
Tel: +66 2 7142073; <englishservice@dpa.com>
dpa pt tlo ses

Missing plane located in Nepal, rescuers headed toward site =

Kathmandu (dpa) - The wreckage of a Nepal Airlines plane that went missing with 18 people on board was located in the western region of the country Monday, the military said.

The crash site is in Arghakanchi district’s Masinalekh village, army spokesman Jagdish Pokharel said, and soldiers were en route to the spot.

The Twin Otter craft was on a domestic flight when it went missing Sunday in bad weather with 14 adult passengers, one infant and three crew. The Civil Aviation Authority said one passenger was from Denmark and the rest were Nepalese.

Searchers had difficulty reaching the suspected crash site due to heavy snow and rain.

Contact with the plane was lost 33 minutes after take-off, after the pilot said he was diverting due to poor visibility.

In 60 years of aviation history, Nepal has recorded more than  70 crashes in which more than 700 people have died.

# dpa NOTEBOOK

## Internet
- [list of occupants on website of digital newspaper Setopati] (http://dpaq.de/q1LrU)

* * * *
The following information is not for publication

## dpa Contacts
- Reporting by: Pratibha Tuladhar
- Editing by: Thomas Long
Tel: +66 2 7142073; <englishservice@dpa.com>
dpa pt tlo cds

3RD LEAD: Rescuers search for crashed plane in Nepal: 18 feared dead

By Pratibha Tuladhar, dpa
Eds: Recasts with quote from army officer =

Kathmandu (dpa) - A Nepal Airlines plane crashed in the north-west of the country during bad weather on Sunday, prompting fears that all 18 occupants were killed, but rescuers could not reach the presumed impact site in a forest.

The Twin Otter craft was on a domestic flight in poor visibility. The Nepal Civil Aviation Authority said one of the people on board was from Denmark. The rest were Nepalese.

The search was mounted in Arghakhanchi district after villagers there reported they had seen a fire in the nearby forest.

"The army's rescue helicopters haven't been able to land due to bad weather at the suspected crash site," Nepal Army spokesman Jagdish Pokharel said, but security personnel were headed to the site on foot.

The occupants comprised 14 adult passengers, a minor and three crew. An online newspaper, Setopati, published the occupant list.

Contact with the plane was lost 33 minutes after take off. The Civil Aviation Authority said the Twin Otter had left the western lake city of Pokhara and was bound for Jumla in the north. Nepal had been hit by heavy snow and rain over a period of three days.

Nepal has a poor aviation safety record. Last year, the European Union blacklisted Nepal's airlines on the grounds of unsatisfactory safety standards. In its 60 years of aviation history, Nepal has seen over 70 crashes in which more than 700 people have died.

# dpa NOTEBOOK

## Internet
- [Setopati: list of occupants](http://dpaq.de/q1LrU)

* * * *
The following information is not for publication

## dpa Contacts
- Reporting by: Pratibha Tuladhar
- Editing by: Jean-Baptiste Piggin
Tel: +49 30 2852 31472; <englishservice@dpa.com>

dpa pt jbp

2ND LEAD: Nepal plane with 18 crashes, rescuers unable to reach site

By Pratibha Tuladhar, dpa
Eds: Recasts with quote from district officer and nationalities =

Kathmandu (dpa) - A Nepal Airlines plane with 18 occupants crashed Sunday in bad weather in the north-west of the country, but rescuers have been unable to reach the presumed site in a forest and details remained sketchy.

The Nepal Civil Aviation Authority said one of the people on board was from Denmark. The rest were Nepalese. The persons on board the flight had comprised 14 adult passengers, a minor and three crew.

An online newspaper, Setopati, published the flight manifest.

Contact with the plane was lost 33 minutes after take off. The Civil Aviation Authority said the Twin Otter craft operated by Nepal Airlines had left the western lake city of Pokhara and was bound for Jumla in the north.

"Villagers in Arghakhanchi's Dhaaba village said they saw fire in the nearby forest," said Kamal Dhakal, a chief district officer. "We haven't been able to reach the location due to bad weather."

Arghakanchi district borders on Gulmi district, where officer Dhakal is based.

Security personnel were being deployed to the area, but bad weather was hampering rescue operations. A plane carrying a search crew could not land because of the weather. In the past three days, Nepal has been hit by heavy snow and rain.

# dpa NOTEBOOK

## Internet
- [Setopati: list of passengers](http://dpaq.de/q1LrU)

* * * *
The following information is not for publication

## dpa Contacts
- Reporting by: Pratibha Tuladhar
- Editing by: Jean-Baptiste Piggin
Tel: +49 30 2852 31472; <englishservice@dpa.com>

dpa pt ar jbp

LEAD: Plane with 18 on board crashes in north-western Nepal

By Pratibha Tuladhar, dpa
Eds: Recasts with confirmation of crash, increases number on board, changes slug =

Kathmandu (dpa) - A Nepal Airlines plane with 18 people on board crashed Sunday in the north-west of the country, the Civil Aviation Authority said.

The plane was flying in bad weather. It lost contact 33 minutes after take off.

On board were 15 passengers and three crew members. It crashed in a forest in the district of Arghakanchi in north-western Nepal.

The Civil Aviation Authority said the Twin Otter craft operated by Nepal Airlines took off from the western lake city of Pokhara, and was on its way to Jumla in the north.

Security personnel were being deployed to the area. Another flight with search crew could not land because of bad weather.

In the past three days, Nepal has been hit by heavy snowfall and rain.

# dpa NOTEBOOK

* * * *
The following information is not for publication

## dpa Contacts
- Reporting by: Pratibha Tuladhar
- Editing by: Anindita Ramaswamy
Tel: +49 30 2852 31472; <englishservice@dpa.com>

dpa pt ar

Plane with 15 on board missing in north-western Nepal =

Kathmandu (dpa) - A plane with 15 people on board has gone missing in north-western Nepal, the authorities said Sunday.

The Nepal Airlines plane took off from the western lake city of Pokhara, and was on its way to Jumla in the country's north.

The 19-seater Twin Otter lost contact shortly after it took off.

# dpa NOTEBOOK

* * * *
The following information is not for publication

## dpa Contacts
- Reporting by: Pratibha Tuladhar
- Editing by: Anindita Ramaswamy
Tel: +49 30 2852 31472; <englishservice@dpa.com>

dpa pt ar

2nd LEAD: Nepal flight crashes, no fatalities reported

Eds: Updates numbers of injured, adds quotes =

   Kathmandu (dpa)- An eight-month-old baby survived a plane crash in Nepal on Thursday, along with the mother and the rest of the passengers on board, police confirmed.

   A Nepal Airlines plane crashed into the Kali Gandaki River as it tried to land in the north-western town of Jomsom.

   “Three crew members were seriously hurt because they fell into the river when the plane crashed and had to be pulled out,” said Jomsom police officer Dharmaraj Giri.

   “An eight-month old baby and the mother were safe and we managed to rescue them along with the others in the aircraft.”

   Giri said there were eight Japanese tourists on board the plane, which had 22 people in all. The rest were Nepali citizens.

   The flight from Pokhara, 150 kilometres north-west of Kathmandu, fell into the river next to the airport after it hit a strong gust of wind while landing, according to former airlines officer, Chandra Mohan Gauchan, who helped with rescue efforts.

   The rescued passengers were being flown to Pokhara hospitals by another domestic airline.

   Last May, 15 people were killed when a flight from Pokhara landing at Jomsom airport crashed.

   Jomsom is a popular trekking destination for its dramatic landscape. Muktinath temple in Jomsom is also an important Hindu pilgrimage site and draws many tourists.

   Nepal has a poor flight safety record due to its mountainous terrain and low visibility during the monsoon. Located on steep mountains, most of the airports in the northern region of the country have little more than narrow airstrips.
dpa pt cds

LEAD: Nepal flight crashes, injures five

Eds: Adds injured, quotes =

   Kathmandu (dpa)- At least five people were injured when a Nepal Airlines plane crashed into a river Thursday as it tried to land in the north-western town of Jomsom, local media reported.

   The flight from Pokara, 150 kilometres north-west of Kathmandu, fell into the river next to the airport, according to the government-run Nepal Television.

   There were no fatalities reported among the plane's 19 passengers, including a child, and three crew, but five people on board were in serious condition with injuries, news reports said.

   “The plane skidded off the runway as it was trying to land and then it fell into the Kali Gandaki River,” said Chandra Mohan Gauchan, a former airline officer who helped with the rescue work.

   “Its nose and wing are broken but the full body landed in the river and we were able to pull out everyone alive.”

   Eight of the passengers were Japanese tourists.

   The rescued passengers were being flown to Pokhara hospitals by another domestic airline.

   “The swift rescue was possible because Jomsom airport is right next to the army barracks, and the locals helped with the rescue work," Gauchan said.

   Nepal has a poor flight safety record due to its mountainous terrain and low visibility during the monsoon.
dpa pt rdp cds