Kathmandu: At least 50 people were killed when a Bangladeshi airliner with 71 people on board crashed while landing at the airport in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu on Monday.
An airport official confirmed the crash of the US-Bangla Airlines flight at Tribhuvan International Airport. An army spokesman said that at least 50 people were killed.
However, Nepal Police spokesperson confirmed a total of 40 deaths. Police said 31 bodies were recovered at the crash site and nine others died in hospital. Airport authorities said the fire in the plane had been controlled and rescue efforts were underway. At least 25 people were brought out of the plane and sent to nearby hospitals, officials said.
The twin-engine turboprop airliner was carrying 67 passengers and four crew members from the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, to Kathmandu. The passengers included 37 men, 27 women and two children. Thirty-three of the passengers were Nepalese nationals.
A huge plume of smoke was seen over the airport after the Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft crashed at 2.20 pm local time and caught fire. Airport officials said the plane went off the runway and careened into a football ground near the airport. Emergency responders and ambulances rushed to the football field.
