Plane crash in northern Nepal kills 18, mostly German tourists (2nd Lead)

Oct 8, 2008, 6:35 GMT

Kathmandu - A plane crash in north-eastern Nepal in Mount Everest region Wednesday killing 18 people, the majority of them foreign tourists from Germany and Australia, officials confirmed.

Aviation officials said only one person survived the crash as the Canadian built Twin Otter landed at the mountainous Lukla airport, about 150 kilometres north-east of the Nepalese capital, early Wednesday morning.

'Our preliminary investigation and reports based on witnesses suggest that the plane belonging to Yeti Airlines crashed after hitting a higher ground near the airport,' said Mohan Adhikari, the director general of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

Officials said the weather and visibility were good in the area when the plane took off early in the morning but clouds had moved in by the time of the crash.

Those killed were 12 Germans, including six women, four Nepalese and two Australian, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said.

'Only the captain of the aircraft survived and he was airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment and was in stable condition,' Adhikari said.

'We are trying to identify the victims but we are facing difficulties because the bodies were burnt beyond recognition,' Adhikari said.

Officials also rectified the earlier reports of Swiss nationals being killed in the crash saying they had been mistaken for Australians.

Aviation officials in Kathmandu said the plane burst into flames after it crashed and hit the airport sideways.

Rescue officials rushed to the scene of the crash but were unable to pull out the passengers and crew.

'We have already dispatched a team to investigate the crash and will make arrangement to bring back the bodies to Kathmandu later in the day,' Adhikari said.

Twin Otters are widely used in Nepal for its ability to service remote areas where airport and airstrips are short and located in difficult terrain.

The Lukla airport, located 2,743 metres above sea-level, is considered one of the world's most dangerous places to land with its steeply-inclined runway.

The crash is the worst reported in Nepal since March when a UN-helicopter crashed and killed 10 people in stormy weather in the Ramechhap district, east of Kathmandu. 090720