Submit your Article

The identities of the passengers who were in the aircraft belonging to Yeti Airlines have been ascertained. There were 68 passengers—60 Nepali nationals and eight foreign ones and four crew members including Captains Kamal KC and Anju Khatiwada were on board the aircraft when it crashed. Three of the passengers were infants, three minors, and three incapacitated people. ALSO READ: Yeti Airlines plane carrying 68 passengers crashes in Pokhara The Nepali passengers have been identified as Kisan Acharya, Nishanta Acharya, Shaligram Acharya, Sadakat Alimiya, Purna Bahadur Gurung, Jitendra Bahadur Kunwar, Alina Bandro and Anisha Baniya, Slok Bhatta, Nira Chhantyal, Aashima Gurung, Anusha Gurung, Belman Gurung, Bijaya Kumar Gurung, Jiban Kala Gurung, Maya Gurung, Lucky Gurung, Shiva Kumar Gurung, Sita Gurung, Yamuna Gurung, Yasmin Gurung, Rabin Hamal, Sanjaya Jiasawal, Sonu Jaisawal, Rachana Kafle, Sita Kumari Khadka, Anil Kumar Rajbhar, Bhagawati Kunwar, Abishek Kushwaha, Om Maya Gurung, Susma Pandey, Hari Pariyar, Laxmi Pariyar, Rita Pariyar, Arun Paudel, Laxmi Paudel, Prasiddhi Paudel, Tribhuvan Paudel and Pojan Rana, Sabina Rayamajhi, Rajan Sapkota, Anil Shahi, Sangita Shahi, Jamuna Sharma, Bishal Sharma, Yubaraj Sharma, Mohan Shrestha, Dr Shona Diwakar, Bandana Sunsar, Rajusingh Thakuri, Churna Thapa, Ganesh Thapa and Lawaraj Timilsina. Likewise, the children have been identified as Krish Pariyar, Prasiddhi Paudel and Aayurdhi Sharma, and identities of three infants are yet to be established. The foreign nationals have been identified as Love Mayron, IIurii Lygin, Victor Lygin, Jannetsandra Palavecino, Victoria Altunina, Elena Banduro, Ruan Calum Crighton and Alexandre Isidore.  

Two helicopters have been deployed to the Yeti Airlines plane crash site in Pokhara to carry out rescue operations. In a statement issued by the Search and Rescue Coordination Center of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), NALX and NALA choppers have been deployed from Pokhara. The Center said that more helicopters have been kept on standby in Pokhara and Kathmandu to carry out and search rescue operations. It further said that rescue operations are being carried out with the help of Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police personnel. According to the Center, there were 53 Nepalis, four crew members, five Indian nationals, four Russian nationals and two Korean nationals on the ill-fated aircraft. Similarly, one Argentinian, one Irish and one French national were also on the plane. The crew members were Captains Kamal KC and Anju Khatiwada while flight attendants were Srijana Hongchun and Oshin Ale Magar. According to Yeti Airlines spokesperson Sudarshan Bartaula, the aircraft with call sign ATR-72 that took off from Kathmandu to Pokhara at 10: 33 am today crashed between the old airport and the Pokhara International Airport at 10: 50 am. ALSO READ: PM Dahal calls emergency Cabinet meeting following plane crash in Pokhara  

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has called an emergency Cabinet meeting following the Yeti Airlines plane crash in Pokhara on Sunday. Expressing his sadness over the plane crash, Prime Minister Dahal has directed the Home Ministry, security agencies and all the government bodies to carry out immediate rescue operations.  

काठमाडौंबाट यात्रु लिएर पोखराका लागि उडेको यती एयरलाइन्सको एएनसी एटीआर ७२ जहाजको दुखद र त्रासदीपूर्ण दुर्घटनाप्रति गहिरो दुख व्यक्त गर्दछु। प्रभावकारी उद्दारमा लाग्न सुरक्षाकर्मी, नेपाल सरकार सम्पूर्ण निकाय र आम जनसमुदायमा हार्दिक अपील गर्दछु।

— ☭ Comrade Prachanda (@cmprachanda) January 15, 2023

The plane with call sign ATR-72 took off from Kathmandu to Pokhara at 10: 33 am today, police said. According to Sudarshan Bartaula, spokesperson of the Yeti Airlines, there were two pilots, two air hostesses and 68 passengers on board the ill-fated aircraft. He said that there were 10 foreign passengers on the plane. Chief District Officer of Kaski district Tek Bahadur Karki said that he has directed the health facilities to be on high alert. It has been learnt that police have pulled out 32 bodes from the crash site.  

The people in the Tharu community, mostly from Dang to Kanchanpur in west Nepal, are observing Maghi, the greatest festival of the community.  The Tharu community observes this festival with much fanfare and gaiety for five consecutive days. Maghi festival is celebrated as the New Year by sharing sweet dishes and performing cultural dance and selecting community leaders known as Bhalmansa. The Sakhiya dance performed with the tune of madal (hand drum) is popular among Tharu community people of all ages for centuries, which demonstrates the costumes, traditions and folk culture of Tharu, Man Bahadur Chaudhary, a leader of Tharu community from Kailari of Kailali district said. Each and every household is preparing for the celebration of Maghi festival here, according to Chaudhary. Chaudhary is also a Bhalmansa, a leader of the Tharu community who decides the key issues at the community. Celebration of the Maghi festival is not likely to be a personal decision by going beyond the decision of Bhalmansa. The people should manage meat, especially pork, a day before Maghi festival while the women remain busy cooking local dishes including Jaad and Dhikri. Dhamar and Dumru dances are also equally popular in the Tharu community in this festival. Married women visit their maternal home to reunite with their parents, brothers and relatives to celebrate the Maghi festival. Furthermore, selection of Bhalmansa is equally crucial in the village during the Maghi festival. The tradition of Bhalmansa carries a great significance since the post has to carry some vital responsibilities in the community. The people here pick Bhalmansa unopposed if an agreement was forged but election and lottery draw are also exercised. Similarly, a community postman known as Chirkiya, and Guruwa to serve as a community health worker are also selected who perform their jobs under the leadership of Bhalmansa. In general, these leaders oversee the overall tasks of the community including protection of the village, development works, irrigation, drinking water supplies, power supplies and other issues that could surface in the community. Defiance of the orders of Bhalmansa is considered as violation of social norms in the Tharu community and every individual should abide by the directive of Bhalmansa since this helps maintain discipline and collectivism in the community.