Nepal plane crash: 67 killed in mishap, including five Indians
Kathmandu: At least 67 of the 72 people onboard the Yeti Airline ATR-72 aircraft from Kathmandu to Pokhara died as the plane crashed in Pokhara on Sunday morning.
The plane carried 68 passengers as well as four crew members. There were 15 foreign nationals, including six children, were on board. 53 Nepali, 5 Indian, 4 Russian, 2 Koreans, 1 Argentinian, and one each from Ireland, Australia, and France were in the plane, the airlines said in a statement.
Police officer A K Chhetri has said that 31 bodies were taken to hospitals, while 36 passengers’ bodies were found in the gorge where the plane crashed, reports NDTV.
Nepali journalist Dilip Thapa has said that rescue operators are struggling due to the fire at the accident site.
Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda called an emergency Cabinet meeting and the Nepal government has formed a five-member commission to probe the crash.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the flight took off from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport at 10:33 am on Sunday. The plane was about to land at the Pokhara airport, when it crashed into a gorge on the bank of River Seti and also caught fire.
The plane crashed about 20 minutes after take-off. The flight time between the two cities is 25 minutes, suggesting that the plane might have crashed during descent.
The airline spokesperson Sudarshan Bartaula has said that there is no information regarding survivors yet.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia condoled the loss of lives in the plane crash.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
_vb_77.jpeg)
_vb_00.jpeg)
