A video of the final moments before the Yeti Airlines plane crash in Nepal’s Pokhara has emerged on social media. The video was being shot by an Indian passenger from Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur, who was on board the ill-fated aircraft when disaster struck. Later, the only thing visible in the video was a burst of flames.
Nepal plane crash near #PokharaAirport caught on camera from ground, these visuals show the plane engine caught fire 🔥, which may have been a bird hit after which it just went down tilted. #NepalPlaneCrash #Yeti pic.twitter.com/9ZTwZDE5At
— The Voice Of Citizens®️ (@tVoiceOfCitizen) January 16, 2023
In the video, the man, along with his three friends, was streaming on Facebook Live and recording the moments. The four were identified as Vishal Sharma (22), Sonu Jaiswal (35), Anil Rajbhar(27) and Abhishek Kushwaha(25). The video was reportedly being shot by Sonu. He could be seen panic-stricken as his friends started shouting “mara mara”.
The four were planning to participate in paragliding in the popular tourist hub of Pokhara, according to a local resident, who had come with them from India in the same vehicle.
A passenger plane, ATR-72, carrying 72 people onboard, crashed in Nepal’s Pokhara on Sunday. Nepal’s Yeti Airlines confirmed there were 68 passengers, including five Indians, on the aircraft.
According to Kathmandu Post, rescuers have so far retrieved 68 bodies from the debris of the crash, while the search for the remaining four is underway. However, army personnel said rescue efforts have been hampered by the treacherous terrain, and had to be eventually called off at night on Sunday.