‘Warning: Some readers may find the following story distressing
A terrifying video has emerged from the moments before a plane crash in Nepal on Sunday thought to have killed all 72 people on board in what is the Himalayan nation’s deadliest plane accident in three decades.
The video reportedly shows four friends from India who were recording a Facebook live shortly before the Yeti Airlines flight carrying 57 Nepalis, five Indians, four Russians, two South Koreans, and one person each from Argentina, Ireland, Australia and France, from Kathmandu to the town of Pokhara, plunged into a gorge shortly before it was due to land at Pokhara’s new international airport. The flight was just 27-minutes long.
“It’s really fun,” one of the men can be heard on the video surveying the city below as the plane began its descent. The camera then turned on a man, since identified as Sonu Jaiswal, a father-of-three.
Without warning the plane appears to veer off with a loud roar, and the sounds of it crashing to the ground are captured on the phone camera, before the screen is filled with flames. No voices are heard after that.
According to a report by The Guardian, a friend of the men, Vishal Koswal, has confirmed the authenticity of the video. He also identified the four men as 29-year-old Jaiswal, 28-year-old Anil Rajbhar, 23-year-old Vishal Sharma and Abhishek Singh Kushwaha, 23, who had left for Nepal on 12 January.
Local police also confirmed their identities. Koswal said he had meant to join his four friends on the trip to Nepal but had to stay home after a the death of a relative.
“Sonu was showing us the mountains around on the call and was clearly excited, so were we,” said Koswal.
“He told me on that call that after landing in Pokhara, they would visit some temples there and then in the evening take a train back home.”
He added: “This all seems like a nightmare, I still cannot believe we have lost all of them,” he added.
On Monday, rescuers continued the search to recover the final four bodies from the wreckage. Sixty eight people have already been confirmed dead.
Authorities said there was no hope for survivors as the prime minister of Nepal declared a national day of mourning.
BREAKING: Yeti Airlines plane carrying more than 70 people crashes in Pokhara, Nepal pic.twitter.com/iUMQ4N16sE
— BNO News (@BNONews) January 15, 2023
Video shows plane with 72 people on board crashing in Nepal. No sign of survivors pic.twitter.com/5CQHu500MQ
— BNO News (@BNONews) January 15, 2023
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