Nepal plane crash recovery to resume

9:01:00 AM
Wreckage of Twin Otter plane, operated by private Tara Air, is pictured after it crashed due to bad weather, in Myagdi, Nepal, February 24, 2016.Image copyrightReuters
Image captionThe plane crashed in a remote area difficult for rescue teams to access
An operation to retrieve the remaining bodies from a plane crash in a mountainous area of Nepal will resume after bad weather suspended recovery efforts, local media report.
The Twin Otter aircraft, operated by Tara Air, crashed killing all 23 people on board shortly after taking off on a flight from Pokhara to Jomsom.
Most of those on board were Nepalis.
Nepal's aviation industry has a poor safety record but it is not yet clear what caused Wednesday's crash.
The identities of those on board have yet to be released. Two of those on board were children. The plane was carrying three crew and 20 passengers, one of them Chinese and one Kuwaiti.
Map of Nepal
According to Sanjiv Gautam, director general of Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority, the plane's wreckage was found near the village of Dana in Myagdi district.
Army officials quoted in local media said the weather was poor and the terrain was difficult to navigate late on Wednesday, which led to the a suspension of the recovery effort.
The crash site is 13,000 feet (4km) above sea level and about 100km (62 miles) from Pokhara. It is not possible for helicopters to land there. Local media reports say the effort to retrieve all the bodies and fly them back to Pokhara will resume on Thursday.
Relatives of a plane crash victim wait for information at Pokhara airportImage copyrightEPA
Image captionRelatives waited for information at Pokhara airport
A family member cries as he waits at the airport after a Twin Otter plane, operated by private Tara Air, crashed in bad weather, in Pokhara, Nepal, February 24, 2016Image copyrightReuters
Image captionOfficials say they hope bodies can be brought back to Pokhara on Thursday
The flight was meant to take just under 10 minutes but Mr Gautam told the BBC Nepali Service that the aircraft lost contact with the control tower at Pokhara 10 minutes after take-off.
Tara Air said on its website that "the weather at both origin and destination airports was favourable".

Nepal's recent air crashes

March 2015: Lucky escape for passengers after plane skids off runway in fog in Kathmandu
February 2014: Bodies of all 18 people recovered after small plane crashes in western Nepal
September 2012: Plane heading for Everest region crashes on the outskirts of Kathmandu, killing all 19 on board
May 2012: Fifteen people die when plane carrying Indian pilgrims crashes in northern Nepal
September 2010: Sight-seeing flight crashes into a hillside near Kathmandu
September 2006: All 24 people on board a WWF helicopter die when it crashes in eastern Nepal
Pokhara is a resort town some 200 kilometres (125 miles) west of the capital Kathmandu. Jomsom, a short distance further north, is the starting point for many people trekking in the Himalayas.
Nepal has a limited road network and many areas are accessible only on foot or by air.
This file photograph taken on June 1, 2010 shows a Tara Air DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft, similar to one that went missing early on February 24, 2016Image copyrightAFP
Image captionTara Air uses Twin Otters and other planes on its routes in Nepal (file photo)
Since 1949, the year the first aircraft landed in Nepal, there have been more than 70 crashes involving planes and helicopters, in which more than 700 people have been killed.
Most accidents have been attributed to bad weather, inexperienced pilots and inadequate maintenance.
In 2013, the European Union banned all Nepalese airlines from flying to its territory for safety reasons.   http://www.bbc.com/news

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