The Tara Air 9NAET aircraft was on a 15-minute scheduled flight from Pokhara to the mountain town of Jomsom, which is also one of the 51 Sakthi Peetams
Four Indians are among the 22 passengers on board a Nepalese passengers aircraft that crashed shortly after take-off on Sunday morning. The Tara Air 9NAET aircraft was on a 15-minute scheduled flight from Pokhara to the mountain town of Jomsom.
According to local media, the aircraft lost contact with the airport tower shortly after take-off at 9.55 am. The last contact with the aircraft was made in the Lete Pass region.
The wreckage of the aircraft was found at Kowang in Mustang. According to information provided to Nepal Army by locals. The aircraft crashed at the mouth of the Lamche river under the landslide of Manapathi Himal.
Nepal's Ministry of Home Affairs spokesperson Phanindra Mani Pokharel said that bad weather hampered the search operation early on. At the same time, the Nepalese army and local police have been deployed in the area to search for the aircraft.
The aircraft manifest showed that it was also carrying 13 Nepalis, two Germans and three crew members. Despite heavy rainfall being reported in the region over the last few days, flights have been operating normally.
The Indian on-board the aircraft were identified as Ashok Kumar Tripathi, his wife Vaibhavi Tripathi and children Dhanush and Ritika. The family resided in Thane city near Mumbai. As per the passport details, Vaibhavi Bandekar's (Tripathi) address was mentioned as from Chikuwadi locality in the Borivali suburb of Mumbai.
The Indian embassy in Nepal has issued an emergency hotline number -- +977-9851107021 -- and updated that the rescue operation is on. The embassy also said that it was in touch with the family of the Indians on board the aircraft.
Jomsom: A pilgrimage destination
The aircraft's destination Jomsom is a popular route for tourists and Indian and Nepalese pilgrims. The Muktinath Temple revered by both Hindus and Buddhists is located here. The temple is at an altitude of 3,710 meters at the foot of the Thorong La mountain pass in Mustang district, Nepal. The Hindus call the sacred place Mukti Kshetra or "place of salvation". It is also one of the 51 Sakthi Peetams.
Chequered Past
Tara Air is a seven-year-old airline with a questionable safety record. Despite the fact that it operates within Nepal, the airline has found itself often being counted among the most dangerous airlines in the world.
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