Search resumes as deadly The Yeti Airlines disaster emphasizes the risks of flying in Nepal

 Following a fatal plane crash that has once again brought attention to the risks of air travel in a nation that is frequently referred to as one of the riskiest places to fly, hundreds of emergency personnel have restarted their search and recovery effort in Nepal.

Rescue workers and civilians gather around the wreckage of the plane that crashed in Nepal [Krishna Mani Baral/AP]

A Yeti Airlines flight crashed in the city of Pokhara on Sunday, killing at least 68 out of the 72 persons on board.

As workers used a crane to remove bodies from the canyon on Monday, Kaski District Police Chief Superintendent Ajay K.C. stated that the likelihood of discovering survivors was "very remote" and that four more people are still missing.

The accident is the country of the Himalayas' biggest air disaster in thirty years. According to data from the Aviation Safety Network, it is also the third deadliest aviation accident in Nepal's history.

According to experts, Nepal's reputation as a notoriously risky country for flying is a result of factors like bad weather, poor visibility, and hilly topography.

When contact with a control tower was lost, the Yeti Airlines flight Sunday had almost completed its brief trip from the capital Kathmandu to Pokhara. According to the nation's civil aviation authorities, there were 15 foreign nationals on board.

Pokhara, a lakeside city, is a well-liked vacation spot and the entrance to the Himalayas. With over 181,000 international tourists coming to the region in 2019, it serves as the beginning point for the well-known Annapurna Circuit trekking route.

A government commission is now probing the reason of the crash, with support from French authorities. The French-based aerospace company ATR produced the Yeti Airlines aircraft.

Officials announced that the black box, which captures flight data, was found on Monday and would be given to the civil aviation authorities.

Hostile topography:

Flight operations are not just hampered by unpredictable weather conditions. According to a 2019 safety assessment from Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority, the country's "difficult topography" is also part of the "major problem" facing pilots.

With a population of 29 million, Nepal is a popular travel destination for trekkers and is home to eight of the world's fourteen highest mountains, including Everest.

But because tiny aircraft are required to access the more isolated and hilly regions of the country, flying over this terrain can be challenging, especially in poor weather.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority research, these issues make accidents more likely to occur in aircraft with 19 seats or less.

The majority of these short planes depart from Kathmandu, which serves as Nepal's main transit center.

The Lukla airport in northern Nepal is frequently referred to be the most hazardous airport in the world. The airport's runway, which is situated on a cliffside between mountains and ends abruptly in an abyss, is known as the entrance to Everest. Over the years, there have been numerous deadly collisions there, including in 2008 and 2019.

The risks of flying are only increased by underinvestment in aging airplanes.

Through its Aviation Safety Implementation Assistance Partnership, the International Civil Aviation Organization, an organization of the United Nations, gave Nepal top priority in 2015. The ICAO and Nepal launched a collaboration to address safety issues two years later.

The nation's safety regulations have improved recently, yet there are still issues.

22 persons were killed in May 2022 when a Tara Air flight from Pokhara collided with a mountain.

A US-Bangla Airlines flight from the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, to Kathmandu crashed and caught fire upon landing in the early months of 2018, killing 51 of the 71 persons on board.

In addition, a Tara Air flight that was traveling in the same direction as the lost Sunday flight crashed in 2016. A recently purchased Twin Otter aircraft was involved in the incident and was flying in clear skies.

Hopes of survivors ‘nil’:

Late into the late hours of the late-night hours into the late-night hours into the late-night hours into the late-night hours into the late-night hours into the late-night hours into the late-late into the late-night hours into the late-late

"So far, 68 bodies have been found. We are looking for four additional bodies. We should keep going until we find the bodies, a top local official told AFP.

"We ask God to work a miracle. But there is no chance of locating anyone still alive, he added.

Authorities stated that following identification and examination, bodies would be given to relatives.

The twin-propeller aircraft banked steeply to the left as it approached Pokhara airport, according to a video on social media that was confirmed by AFP and The Associated Press news agencies. The cause of the disaster has not yet been determined. Then there was a thunderous explosion.

According to the AP article, at least one witness claimed to have heard calls for help coming from within the burning wreck.

Bishnu Tiwari, a local resident who hurried to the crash site near the Seti River to assist in the hunt for remains, claimed that heavy smoke and a blazing fire hindered rescue attempts.

We were unable to approach the wreckage because the flames were so intense. The flames and smoke prevented us from assisting the man I overheard pleading for help, Tiwari added.

Searchers find black boxes:

Both the flight's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were discovered on Monday by searchers. Investigators may be able to identify the cause of the aircraft crash using the data from the recorders.

According to the manufacturer's recommendation, both recorders will be sent for study and were in good condition, according to Teknath Sitaula, a representative of the Kathmandu airport, who spoke to Reuters.

Following the tragedy on Sunday, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal hurried to the airport. He also announced the formation of a committee to study the accident and make recommendations on how to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

In a statement released on Sunday, the plane's French-based manufacturer ATR said, "Our first thoughts are with all the people touched by this."

ATR experts are totally committed to helping the investigation and the consumer.

In Nepal, which is home to eight of the world's fourteen tallest mountains, including Everest, where rapid weather changes can create hazardous conditions, about 350 people have perished in aircraft or helicopter crashes since 2000.

Since 1946, 42 fatal aviation crashes have occurred in Nepal, according to the Aviation Safety database maintained by the Flight Safety Foundation.

The accident on Sunday is the deadliest in Nepal since 1992, when a Pakistan International Airlines plane crashed into a hill while attempting to land in Kathmandu, killing all 167 people on board.

According to the AP article, the European Union has prohibited airlines from Nepal from flying into the 27-nation union since 2013, citing lax safety standards.

Improvements in Nepal's aviation industry were noted by the International Civil Aviation Organization in 2017, although the EU is still pushing for administrative changes.

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