US-Bangla plane crash

IT was sad and shocking to say the least. At least 49 people were killed when an aircraft of the privately owned US-Bangla Airlines crashed while landing at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal on Monday.

The accident was the latest to hit mountainous Nepal, which has a poor record of air safety. Small aircraft ply an extensive domestic network and often run into trouble at remote airstrips. Several people were rescued from the burning wreckage of the Bombardier Q400 series aircraft and were undergoing treatment at hospitals.

There were 71 passengers on board, including the crew. Two cabin crew members died after the crash. The pilot of the crashed flight who sustained injuries in the plane crash, died at Norvic Hospital in Kathmandu on Tuesday. Among the passengers who died were 26 Bangladeshis, 21 Nepalese, one Chinese and a Maldivian. Of the Nepalese citizens, there were 11 students who were returning home from Sylhet where they were studying in a medical college. The airport authority of Nepal and authorities of US-Bangla Airlines are blaming each other for the accident. We only hope that reasons behind the crash will be unearthed in course of investigation.

Mohammed Sohel hara

Bonosree, Dhaka

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