The Pokhara International Airport, which witnessed the fatal crash of a Nepalese passenger plane with 72 people onboard on Sunday, was inaugurated two weeks ago by Nepal's newly-appointed Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda' and built with Chinese assistance.
Built in the backdrop of the pristine Annapurna Mountain Range, the airport was officially inaugurated on January 1, 2023.
The flagship project was part of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation.
The Nepal government signed a USD 215.96 million soft loan agreement with China in March 2016 for the construction of the airport in this tourist hub, according to Kathmandu Post newspaper.
Last year, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi handed over the Pokhara Regional International Airport to the then Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, during a courtesy call held at Baluwatar.
Speaking at the airport's inauguration ceremony, Prachanda said aerial connectivity is the most effective means of connectivity for a landlocked country like Nepal.
"With the opening of this airport, Pokhara's relationship with the international region has been established, he said.
While landing at the Pokhara airport around 11 am on Sunday, the Yeti Airlines aircraft crashed on the bank of the Seti River between the old airport and the new airport.
There were a total of 68 passengers and four crew members.
Five Indians were among the passengers.
At least 32 bodies have been recovered from the wreckage site, The Himalayan Times newspaper reported.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the airplane had received permission to land, MyRepublica newspaper reported.
"Weather was not a problem, preliminary information has been received that the plane crashed due to technical reasons. Information has been received that flames were seen in the plane while it was still air-borne, Gyanendra Bhul, information officer at CANN, was quoted as saying in the report.
"The plane would have reached the runway in 10 seconds. However, it met with an accident mid-way, the airport's air traffic controller told MyRepublica newspaper.
The Nepal government on Sunday formed a five-member commission of inquiry to probe the plane crash.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
You’ve hit your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Quarterly Starter
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online
Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app