British man among dozens killed in Nepal plane crash
by A British man was among dozens of people killed in a plane crash in Nepal on Sunday.
Nepalese officials initially said Ruan Calum Crighton was from the Republic of Ireland – but the UK government has since confirmed he was British.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Nepal and are in contact with the local authorities.”
The ATR 72 aircraft, operated by Yeti Airlines, was carrying 72 people when it crashed on Sunday in clear weather on approach to the tourist city of Pokhara.
Rescuers battled cloudy weather and poor visibility on Monday as they scoured a river gorge for passengers who are
unaccounted for.
At least 68 people were confirmed dead in the crash, the worst in over 30 years.
Alongside Mr Crighton were victims from Nepal, India, Russia, South Korea, Argentina, Australia and France.
The plane’s black box and cockpit voice recorder were both found in the wreckage.
Investigators will use the data on the recorders to help them identify the cause of the crash.
Gaurav Gurung, a witness, said he saw the aircraft spinning violently in the air after it began to attempt a landing.
He saw the plane fall nose-first towards its left and then crash into a gorge.
“The plane caught fire after the crash. There was smoke everywhere,” Mr Gurung said.
This plane crash comes less than a year after the Tara Air crash that killed 22 people.
Nepal declared Monday as a day of mourning.