Nukakot [Nepal], August 7 (ANI): The Nepal government has formed a three-membered committee to investigate the second aviation accident after a helicopter crashed into the hills of Nepal on Wednesday killing all 5 on board.
An emergency cabinet meeting held earlier in the afternoon soon after the crash of the Air Dynasty helicopter formed the committee to be led by Senior Nepal Army Pilot Subhash Thapa.
“A three-membered committee has been formed to investigate the reason for the crash. The committee has 30 days to submit the report,” Prithivi Subba Gurung, the government spokesperson confirmed ANI.
The other members of the commission are aeronautical engineer Bishnu Basnet and Tanuja Pokharel.
The crash on Wednesday, which came less than a fortnight after the Saurya Airlines crash claimed the lives of 18 people on board on July 24 within the premises of Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.
The Air Dynasty helicopter which was carrying four Chinese nationals flew by a Nepali Pilot came down the slopes of a treacherous mountain which during the monsoon is clouded by thick mist.
“I was working in the kitchen, and at that time I heard the sound of a helicopter passing by twice- once it was going and coming back. Helicopters usually land at a point at the top of the hill and I thought it was the same but two of my neighbors came running saying a helicopter had crashed. I then ran to the site by jumping up from the roof of my house as the exit of my house would make me late to reach the site,” Harilal Pantha, one of the first responders and witnesses of the incident told ANI.
“When I reached here, the helicopter was engulfed in fire and we could see four dead bodies, two in the upper slope and two below it. We threw some soil on those bodies, though they were lifeless, all we tried was to prevent it from burning further. It was all we could do,” he added.
Security personnel had to scour through the wreckage of the chopper which had come down on the slopes of the forest without proper safety and protective equipment. As per the witnesses, the helicopter was engulfed in fire when they reached to the actual crash site which is covered by dense trees and bushes with thrones and spikes.
“The helicopter took a turn from Surya Chaur and then my wife called me panicking saying it had crashed, then I came running here along with my neighbour,” Santa Bahadur, a local resident of Suryachaur told ANI.
“It was in flame when I reached here. We couldn’t go near as it was raging high and the head was intense. The bodies were scattered all over the places, beyond recognition,” Santa Bahadur added.
The chopper came down in the Shivapuri National Park area which lies within 20 nautical miles from the Tribhuvan International Airport, the take-off spot. As per the release from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the chopper lost contact with the control tower within 3 minutes of take-off.
The 9N-AJD chopper of Air Dynasty took off from Kathmandu at 1:54 pm for Syaprubesi, Rasuwa which has a flight distance of 15 to 20 minutes on a helicopter. (ANI)
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