On January 15, local time, Nepal suffered the worst aircraft accident in 30 years, a passenger plane flying from Kathmandu to Pokhara with 72 people crashed, killing 68 people, and the search and rescue is still ongoing.
Xinhua News Agency (Photo courtesy of Ni News Agency)
Chinese Embassy in Nepal:
There were no Chinese nationals on the plane crashed in Nepal
According to the website of the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, on January 15, the Consular Office of the Chinese Embassy in Nepal answered a reporter's question on the Nepalese passenger plane crash, saying that it was deeply saddened by the heavy casualties caused by the passenger plane crash in Nepal, expressed deep condolences to the victims, and expressed deep condolences to the families of the victims.
After learning of the crash, the Chinese Embassy in Nepal immediately activated the emergency response mechanism and learned about the situation from all sides. It was verified that there were no Chinese nationals on board the crashed plane.
There have been more than 20 air disasters in the past 10 years
A number of foreign media pointed out that aviation accidents are not uncommon in Nepal.
Xinhua News Agency (Photo courtesy of Ni News Agency)
On the morning of January 15, local time, a Nepal Snowman Airlines passenger plane flying from Kathmandu to Pokhara crashed between the old and new airports of Pokhara with 68 passengers and 4 crew on board. Rescuers and crowds gather around the wreckage.
The Indian Express newspaper, citing the Aviation Safety Database, reported that there have been about 27 fatal plane crashes in Nepal in the past 30 years. Of these, more than 20 have occurred in the last decade. At least 309 people have been killed in plane or helicopter crashes in Nepal since 2000.
In May 2022, a Nepalese Tara Airlines plane crashed, killing 22 people. It was the country's 19th air crash in 10 years.
In February 2019, a helicopter crashed into a mountain while trying to return to Kathmandu, killing all seven passengers.
In March 2018, a Bombardier Q400 operated by USA-Bengal Airlines crashed into Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu while returning from Dhaka, killing 51 people.
In September 2011, a plane collided with a hill, killing all 19 people on board, including 10 Indians.
In September 1992, an Airbus A300 operated by Pakistan International Airlines crashed into a ridge 11 kilometres from the airport while landing at Kathmandu airport, killing all 167 people on board.
Why are Nepal's "deadly flights" so frequent?
According to CNN, 8 of the 14 tallest mountains in the world are located in Nepal. In addition, the country has "the most dangerous airport in the world".
The Indian Express cited rugged mountainous terrain, lack of investment in new aircraft and infrastructure and poor regulation as all responsible for the crash. In addition, the location of the runway in mountainous areas and adverse weather conditions have exacerbated the "dangerous" level of Nepal's air routes.
Nepal's deadliest crashes all occurred at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. At 1,338 metres above sea level, the airport is located in a narrow oval-shaped valley surrounded by tall jagged mountains, which means that there is less room for aircraft to maneuver, posing a huge challenge to fly.
Most of Nepal's airports are built between mountains and have complex terrain. Most pilots said the higher, steeper, narrower runways on the mountain were very difficult to navigate. Small aircraft with turboprop engines can arrive, but jumbo jetliners do not. And these smaller aircraft are more vulnerable to Nepal's adverse weather conditions.
In 2013, the European Union banned Nepal Airlines aircraft from its airspace over concerns about aviation industry training and maintenance standards. In March 2022, The Kathmandu Post reported that the Nepalese government failed to take action to get EU Airlines to remove it from the blacklist. A few months later, Nepal again made the same request to the EU, but was refused.
(Original title: More than 20 air disasters in the past 10 years, why is the Nepal route particularly dangerous?) ）
Source: China News Network
Process Editor: TF060