Airport officials said a plane bound for Pokhara to Jomsom with 22 people lost contact on Sunday morning. It had gone missing in the mountainous region of the country.
Tara Air’s 9 NAET twin-engined aircraft took off at 9.55 am and went off the radar. A helicopter was dispatched to locate the plane, which should have landed at its destination 25 minutes after takeoff.
According to an air traffic controller at Jomsom airport, there is an unconfirmed report about loud noise. It is feared that the plane crashed in the Dhaulagiri area.
Tara Air spokesperson Sudarshan Bartaula said a possible crash site had been located. He said the plane was over 30 years old.
WHO’S ONBOARD?
Four Indians and two other foreign nationals are on board the missing plane. According to state media, the remaining passengers are Nepalese citizens.
The Indian Embassy in Nepal is in touch with the families of the Indians on board.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM TARA AIR
In an official statement, Tara air said, “Today, on Sunday 29th May 2022, Tara Air’s 9N-AET, DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft, which flew from Pokhara to Jomsom at 9:55 am, was reported to go out of contact. There were 22 people on board, including three crew members and 19 passengers. Among the passengers, 12 are Nepalis, four Indians and two Germans. The plane last came in contact with Jomsom Tower at 10:07 am at Ghodepani.”
Helicopters were sent from Jomsom to search, but the aircraft returned to Jomsom due to bad weather. Helicopters are ready for search and rescue operations at Kathmandu and Jomsom airports, and the search will resume once the weather improves. Rescue teams from Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Tara Air have been deployed. Further information will be provided through another press release, it added.
