Plane goes missing in Nepal with 21 on board

The search operation for Tara Viking 9H-AHH Twin Otter aircraft, flying to Jomsom town from Pokhara city, has begun, Xinhua reported. The plane was carrying 18 passengers, including two foreign nationals, and three crew members.

A small Tara Air plane carrying 21 people has gone missing in a mountainous region of Nepal, the airline’s media manager said.

However, there is no official confirmation so far about the crash but rescue teams have been sent to the possible crash site, said Narendra Singh, DIG of Nepal Police. Two helicopters have been sent to find the missing plane, said Chief District Officer of Kaski district, Hari Prasad Mainali.

The plane was reportedly traveling from Pokhara, 80 miles west of Kathmandu, to Jomsom, which is the starting point for trekkers going into mountainous areas.

Helicopters have been deployed to search for the missing craft for more than two hours but has been a hard task given the poor weather conditions.

The country’s aviation sector has come under fire from global authorities and in 2013 the European Union blacklisted all Nepal’s airlines.

Nepal’s aviation industry has a poor safety record.