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| ▲ This EPA photo shows rescue teams working at the wreckage of a Yeti Airlines ATR72 aircraft after it crashed in Pokhara, Nepal, on Jan. 15, 2023. (Yonhap) |
(3rd LD) Nepal jet crash-S Koreans
(3rd LD) Two S. Koreans on crashed Nepal plane, fate unknown: foreign ministry
(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead with gov't confirmation of South Koreans aboard plane; ADDS more details throughout)
NEW DELHI/SEOUL, Jan. 15 (Yonhap) -- Two South Koreans were confirmed to have been aboard a passenger aircraft that crashed in a resort town in Nepal on Sunday, and the Seoul government is working to figure out their fate while extending necessary support for their families, the foreign ministry said.
The two South Koreans were among 68 passengers aboard the Yeti Airlines flight that crashed near Pokhara International Airport at around 10:30 a.m. (local time) after flying from Nepal's capital city of Kathmandu. News reports said dozens of bodies have been recovered.
"Two South Koreans were confirmed to have been aboard the aircraft as our embassy in Nepal learned the fact from the airline and related agencies," the ministry said in a release.
The ministry set up an overseas Koreans protection task force headed by Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Do-hoon to handle the case, and dispatched local embassy officials to the site for responses.
"We are working to swiftly confirm whether the South Koreans were alive in close cooperation with the embassy and the government of Nepal, and will do our best in supporting families of those suffering damage and taking necessary steps," it added.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo ordered the ministry to quickly learn if any South Koreans suffered damage and to provide necessary assistance to the families of those on the crashed aircraft, according to his office.
A foreign news outlet reported that all the passengers were killed, but other reports said that there were some survivors and they were rushed to hospitals for treatment.
The passengers also include 53 Nepalese, five Indians, four Russians and one each from Ireland, Australia, Argentina and France, and there were four crew members on the ill-fated aircraft, according to news reports.
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