Kathmandu - A commission formed by the Nepalese government
Saturday began its investigations into the plane crash in
north-eastern part of the country that killed 18 people, mostly
tourists, officials said.
The five-member committee, which includes the deputy attorney
general and pilots, flew to Lukla, the site of the crash, about 150
kilometres north-east of the Nepalese capital.
The Twin Otter aircraft crashed while landing at the airport on
Wednesday killing 12 Germans, four Nepalese and two Australians.
The team will interview airport officials, police, witnesses and
local residents about the circumstances surrounding the crash, the
Nepalese home ministry said.
Earlier in the week Nepalese officials said they suspected bad
weather at the airport as the main cause of the crash.
'The approach to the airport was covered by thick fog that rose up
the mountain, obscuring the approach seconds before touch town,' said
Mohan Adhikari, the director general of the Civil Aviation Authority
of Nepal. 'We are looking at weather as one of the main reasons for
the crash.'
The commission has been given two months to submit its report.
In Kathmandu, German experts began efforts to identify the bodies,
following the arrival of more experts, including dental experts, on
Friday.
However, Nepalese officials said it was becoming difficult to
identify the victims because of lack of equipment and facilities in
Nepal.
'The experts will collect DNA samples and check dental records to
identify the victims,' said Dr Tulsi Kadel who heads the autopsy team
at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu where the
bodies are kept.
'There are no facilities to carry out DNA testing in Nepal so it
has to be sent outside the country and that could take some time,'
Kadel said.
The Lukla airport is considered one of the most dangerous in the
world with its runway sloping downwards and one side ending in a
steep cliff.
It is an important airport for thousands of tourists on their way
for trekking in the Mount Everest region.
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