Dozens dead in crash

Irishman onboard as doomed plane plunges into ravine

- BY NICOLA DONNELLY

FEARS were growing last night for an Irishman onboard an aircraft that crashed in Nepal with the loss of at least 68 lives. 

The Government said it is aware of reports Ruan Callum Crighton was a passenger on the Yeti Airlines jet, with officials on standby to provide consular help.

A spokesman said the Department of Foreign Affairs said: “We are aware of reports of the involvement of an Irish citizen in an airplane crash in Nepal and stand ready to provide consular assistance if requested.”

Nepal’s aviation authority tweeted a list of the passengers who were on the ATR 73 including Mr Crighton although there were no other details about him. It said 53 of the passengers and all four crew members were Nepali.

Of the 15 foreign nationals on board five were Indian, four were Russian and two were Korean.

The rest were individual citizens of Australia, Argentina, France and Ireland.

The aircraft had been flying from the capital Kathmandu to Pokhara International Airport, which began operations only two weeks ago.

The plane was last in contact with Pokhara airport at about 10.50 am local time, about 18 minutes after take-off.

It was filmed spinning in mid-air seconds before it crashed in the nearby Seti River Gorge. First responders from the Nepal Army and police departments were deployed to the crash site and are said to be carrying out a rescue and recovery operation.