Nepal: searchers find wreckage of missing passenger plane
Authorities say there is little chance the 23 people on board the Tara Air flight will be found alive

The wreckage of a small passenger plane, which went missing minutes after take-off, has been found in a remote region of Nepal.
Adverse weather conditions have hampered attempts to reach the crash site but officials say there is little chance any of the 23 people on board will be found alive.
The Tara Air flight took off from Pokhara, Nepal's second city, on Wednesday morning, scheduled to make a short 19-minute flight to the town of Jomsom. Both destinations are popular gateways to the Himalayas for visiting trekkers.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The plane, a De Havilland Twin Otter, lost contact with the ground about ten minutes after take-off. The last reported contact with the pilot came as they left Pokhara's airspace, at which point the flight appeared to be progressing normally. The plane was then supposed to begin communication with air traffic control at Jomsom Airport, but instead disappeared from the radar.
An army helicopter and two private helicopters were deployed to search the flight path for signs of the plane. These are now heading for the crash site, identified by the Kathmandu Post as being near the Rupse Chhahara cascades, a beauty spot which features in many tourist guidebooks.
Of the 20 passengers, 18 were from Nepal, one from China and one from Kuwait. Two children were also believed to be on the flight, the BBC reports.
Sanjiv Gautam, the director general of Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority, told the broadcaster he was "surprised" at the news, saying the weather had been clear and the plane was new.
Nepal's aviation safety record has come under scrutiny on several occasions, with an average of around one crash per year since 1949.
In May 2013, a Twin Otter operated by Nepal Airlines crashed on the bank of the nearby Gandaki River as it approached Jomsom, leaving seven of the 21 people on board with serious injuries. Since then, all Nepalese carriers have been banned from flying within the European Union.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Cytomegalovirus can cause permanent birth defects
The Explainer The virus can show no symptoms in adults
-
Summer in Seattle: Outdoor dining like nowhere else
Feature Featuring a patio with a waterfront view, a beer garden, and more
-
Ari Aster revisits the pandemic, Adam Sandler tees off again and Lamb Chop gets an origin story in July movies
the week recommends The month's film releases include 'Eddington,' 'Happy Gilmore 2' and 'Shari & Lamb Chop'
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos