68 people are confirmed to have died, while four are still missing.
The Irish citizen onboard the plane that crashed in Nepal on Sunday has been named as Ruan Calum Crighton.
Flying from Kathmandu, Yeti Airlines aircraft flight 691 crashed into a gorge at 10.50 am local time while landing at Pokhara International Airport, a new airport in central Nepal.
At least 68 people are now believed to be dead following the crash, with the plane carrying 72 on board when the tragedy occurred.
In a series of updates on social media, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) posted the flight’s passenger list, which included Ruan Calum Crighton’s name and nationality.
#YetiAirlines #9N-ANC #Crash
Detail of passenger on board. pic.twitter.com/G06jtkP2oa— Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (@hello_CAANepal) January 15, 2023
A spokesperson from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs said: “The Department is aware of reports of the involvement of an Irish citizen in an airplane crash in Nepal, and stands ready to provide consular assistance if requested.”
Among the 72 people onboard the flight was four crew members, according to CANN.
In terms of the passengers and their nationalities, 53 onboard were Nepalese, five were Indian, four were Russian, two were Korean, one was Australian, one was Argentinian, one was French and one was Irish.
#YetiAirlines #9N-ANC #Crash
Press Release pic.twitter.com/HPmOuH6pMN
— Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (@hello_CAANepal) January 15, 2023
The cause of the crash – Nepal’s deadliest in 30 years – is not yet known, though the weather at the time is said to have been clear.
Reuters reports that the search-and-rescue operations, which had stopped due to darkness on Sunday, has since resumed.
The outlet also stated that searchers have found both the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder for the crashed aircraft.
An official at Kathmandu airport told Reuters that both recorders were in good shape and are set to be sent for analysis.
It is hoped that the data contained on the items will help investigators determine the cause of the crash.
Main images via iStock.
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