belfasttelegraph

Saturday 18 May 2013

Kathmandu plane crash: Seven Britons among 19 killed in Nepal

Nepalese gather around the burning wreckage at the crash site of a Sita Air airplane near Katmandu, Nepal, early Friday, Sept. 28, 2012. The plane carrying trekkers to the Everest region crashed and burned just after takeoff Friday morning in Nepal's capital, killing the 19 Nepali, British and Chinese people on board, authorities said. (AP Photo)
Nepalese gather around the burning wreckage at the crash site of a Sita Air airplane near Katmandu, Nepal, early Friday, Sept. 28, 2012. The plane carrying trekkers to the Everest region crashed and burned just after takeoff Friday morning in Nepal's capital, killing the 19 Nepali, British and Chinese people on board, authorities said. (AP Photo)
Nepalese police search through the debris at the crash site of a Sita Air airplane near Katmandu, Nepal, early Friday, Sept. 28, 2012. The plane carrying trekkers into the Everest region crashed just after takeoff Friday morning in Nepal's capital, killing all 19 people on board, authorities said. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
A Nepalese rescue worker carries the flight data recorder of a Sita Air airplane at the crash site near Katmandu, Nepal, early Friday, Sept. 28, 2012. The plane carrying trekkers into the Everest region crashed just after takeoff Friday morning in Nepal's capital, killing all 19 people on board, authorities said. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
A Nepalese relative of a crew member cries at the crash site of a Sita Air airplane near Katmandu, Nepal, early Friday, Sept. 28, 2012. A plane carrying trekkers into the Everest region crashed just after takeoff Friday morning in Nepal's capital, killing all 19 people on board, authorities said. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Nepalese police salvage debris at the crash site of a Sita Air airplane near Katmandu, Nepal, early Friday, Sept. 28, 2012. The plane carrying trekkers into the Everest region crashed just after takeoff Friday morning in Nepal's capital, killing all 19 people on board, authorities said. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Nepalese firefighters spray water on the burning wreckage at the crash site of a Sita Air airplane near Katmandu, Nepal, early Friday, Sept. 28, 2012. A plane carrying trekkers into the Everest region crashed Friday morning in Nepal's capital, and all 19 people on board are believed dead, authorities said. (AP Photo)
A Nepalese relative of a crew member is comforted at the crash site of a Sita Air airplane near Katmandu, Nepal, early Friday, Sept. 28, 2012. The plane carrying trekkers into the Everest region crashed just after takeoff Friday morning in Nepal's capital, killing all 19 people on board, authorities said. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Nepalese firefighters spray water on the burning wreckage at the crash site of a Sita Air airplane near Katmandu, Nepal, early Friday, Sept. 28, 2012. A plane carrying trekkers to the Everest region crashed and burned just after takeoff Friday morning in Nepal's capital, killing the 19 Nepali, British and Chinese people on board, authorities said. (AP Photo)
A Nepalese man runs past the burning wreckage at the crash site of a Sita Air airplane near Katmandu, Nepal, early Friday, Sept. 28, 2012. The plane carrying trekkers to the Everest region crashed and burned just after takeoff Friday morning, killing the 19 Nepali, British and Chinese people on board, authorities said. (AP Photo)

Seven British tourists were among 19 passengers and crew who died in a plane crash in Nepal.

The British victims were identified by local travel company Sherpa Adventures as Raymond Eagle, 58, Christopher Davey, 51, Vincent Kelly, 50, Darren Kelly, 45, Timothy Oakes, 57, Stephen Holding, 60, and Benjamin Ogden, 27.

The group, who arrived in Nepal on Wednesday and were due to begin trekking today, were travelling with Hampshire-based travel company Explore Worldwide.

Managing director Ashley Toft said: "We are devastated by this news. Our thoughts are very much with the families of those affected, both in the UK and in Nepal."

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said the families of the victims have all been informed.

Mr Toft said the plane belonged to Nepal's domestic airline Sita Air, which is approved by airline authorities.

He added: "The weather was good. The plane was departing for Lukla and our passengers were heading for Everest Base Camp at the start of their trek.

"We have no more information at present."

He said the company was sending a representative to Nepal and she would arrive in the country tomorrow.

The twin-engine propeller Dornier plane crashed shortly after take-off at about 6.15am local time near Nepal's capital, Kathmandu.

Five Chinese people and three passengers and four crew members from the Himalayan country were also killed, with reports suggesting the accident was caused by a bird strike.

The British ambassador to Nepal, John Tucknott, told Sky News: "Regretfully all those on board perished.

"Our thoughts at the moment are with the families and friends of those who lost their lives."

Asked about the cause of the crash, Mr Tucknott said: "This is not the time to speculate, obviously there will be an air crash investigation and clearly we will have to wait to see what they find caused the air crash."

He spoke after visiting Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu, where the bodies of those who were killed were taken.

The plane was heading east towards Lukla, the gateway to Mount Everest and a popular destination for trekkers, when it crashed near the Manohara River to the south west of the city.

The pilot reported trouble two minutes after take-off, and Tribhuvan International Airport official Ratish Chandra Suman said the plane appeared to have been trying to turn back to the airport.

Witnesses said they heard screaming coming from inside the plane before it crashed into a field and said it was already on fire before it hit the ground.

Harimaya Tamang, who lives near the crash site, said: "We thought the pilot was trying to force land because it was on fire and the river area had open space to land.

"The plane hit the ground, bounced once but it did not break. The plane was already on fire, the local people rushed with buckets and tried to put out the flames but it was too hot and people could not get close enough."



Latest News

Latest Sport

Latest Showbiz