A Sydney teacher is feared to have been killed alongside at least 67 other people when a regional passenger plane crashed moments before landing in Nepal. Myron Love, a Sydney teacher with a passion for travel, had been holidaying through Asia when he boarded the ATR 72 Yeti airlines flight in Kathmandu. There were 72 people on board the plane when it crashed into a gorge while landing at a newly opened airport in Pokhara, marking Nepal’s deadliest aviation accident in three decades.
The Department of Foreign Affair and Trade has been unable to confirm whether Love is one of the 68 victims. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the department was providing consular support to Love’s family but he couldn’t provide any more details. “Our hearts go out to all of the families of the crew and passengers of the Yeti Airlines flight which crashed in Nepal,” he said.
The twin-engine ATR 72 aircraft, operated by Nepal’s Yeti Airlines, was flying from the capital, Kathmandu, to Pokhara, a 27-minute flight. It was carrying 68 passengers including 15 foreign nationals, as well as four crew members, Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement. The foreigners included five Indians, four Russians, two South Koreans, and one each from Ireland, Australia, Argentina and France.