A Plane Crash in Nepal

In yet another tragic accident, Agni Air crashed while flying back from Lukla airport which was closed due to bad weather. The crash site is believed to be approx 2 hours hike from Kathmandu. All passengers and crew on board are feared dead as the wreckage of the airplane, according to the eye witnesses is scattered over the hill side.

Every year mostly during the monsoon season we hear news of landslides, flooding and occasionally, plane crash. It is a know fact that due to the nature of the Nepali terrain any rescue mission becomes a daunting task for the search team. Our search and rescue team only comprises of a handful personnel from Nepal army and some from the Police force. On top of that, we are not equipped to deal with such cases of emergencies due to lack of proper preparation and planning by the concerned authorities.

Despite all the above, there seems no legislation from the government to take corrective measures to ensure accidents like this don't repeat itself. Why then do the airlines still fly under such adverse conditions?? Where is the safety criteria by the Civil Aviation? Isn't preventing incidents like this a wiser course of action than trying to fight against it. Like the old saying " prevention is better than cure" which aptly applies to a country like ours, it is time to follow these simple rules.

Knowing your own turf and the capability of your team has been a winning mantra, why then do we not take preventative methods to ensure that no more lives are lost in vain.