29 people died in Nepal plane crash

Twenty-nine people are confirmed to have been killed in a crash by a plane in Nepal that had 72 on board, but there were some survivors, an official said Sunday.

“We have recovered 29 bodies so far and (we) have also sent some survivors to the hospital for treatment,” Gurudatta Dhakal, assistant chief official in Kaski district, told AFP.

Nepal’s air industry has boomed in recent years, carrying goods and people between hard-to-reach areas as well as foreign trekkers and climbers.

 

But it has been plagued by poor safety due to insufficient training and maintenance.

The European Union has banned all Nepali carriers from its airspace over safety concerns.

The Himalayan country also has some of the world’s most remote and tricky runways, flanked by snow-capped peaks with approaches that pose a challenge even for accomplished pilots.

 

Aircraft operators have said Nepal lacks infrastructure for accurate weather forecasts, especially in remote areas with challenging mountainous terrain where deadly crashes have taken place in the past.

The weather can also change quickly in the mountains, creating treacherous flying conditions.