Indian passenger captured the last moments of the plane in video
One of the victims, Sonu Jaiswal (who was on the plane at the time of Nepal’s most fatal plane crash in 30+ years), live-streamed from it just seconds before the crash.
He was one of four Indian friends who were visiting Nepal and were travelling from Ghazipur to Pokhara.
The surroundings of Pokhara airport can be seen in the footage as the plane approaches land. Those on board are unaware that they are only moments away from death.
None of the 72 people on board are believed to have survived The crash.
The plane glides gracefully over the honeycombs of buildings dotted with brown-green field, before the man filming the video turns the camera and smiles.
The pilot then flips the plane around to show others.
These details may be troubling to some readers.
Then, moments pass and then comes the deafening crash.
As the camera continues recording, huge flames and smoke fill up the screen in seconds. It sounds almost like an engine screeching, and there is also breaking glass before the video ends.
Sonu Jaiswal’s family and friends told reporters they confirmed the authenticity of the video by watching it on his Facebook page.
“Sonu did this.” [livestream] “When the plane crashed in the gorge near to the Seti River,” Mukesh Kazhyap, Jaiswal’s friend, said to reporters.
Shashikant Tiwari, a local journalist, said to the BBC that Kashyap had shown him the video on Jaiswal’s profile on Facebook. The profile is currently set to private.
It is unclear how Jaiswal got the internet streaming from the plane.
Abhishekpratap Shah, a former Nepali lawmaker, said that rescuers had returned the phone from which the video was taken.
“It [the video clip] It was sent to me by a friend, and I received it from a cop. It’s a true record,” Mr Shah said to NDTV.
Officials from Nepal have not commented on his claims or confirmed the footage. This could be a help to crash investigators.
For the loved ones of these four men, Jaiswal Kushwaha and Anil Rajbhar, none of this matters. They claim they are too distraught to care.
Chandrabhan Maurya (the brother of Abhishek Kushiwaha) said, “The pain can’t be explained.”
“The government should help us as best they can.” We want to receive the bodies of our loved one’s deceased relatives.”
Authorities in Ghazipur, northern Uttar Pradesh state, said that they were in touch with the families and the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu in order to offer any assistance.
“We also told the families that we will make arrangements for them if they wish to travel to Kathmandu,” Aryaka Akhauri, district magistrate, told reporters.
Many villagers thought of the men as “kind, fun-loving people”. They described how they were shocked by the tragedy that struck their otherwise peaceful lives.
Some of them joined protests demanding compensation for the families.
The men, who are all believed to be in their 20s/early 30s, were friends for many years and often shared time together.
Locals claim they went to Nepal on 13 Jan to see the Pashupatinath Temple, a magnificent shrine located on the outskirts Kathmandu dedicated to Shiva.
Jaiswal was believed to have planned the trip. As a father of three, Jaiswal wanted to pray at this temple for his son.
The friends visited the temple and then set out on Sunday to Pokhara, a beautiful tourist town near the Annapurna Mountain range, to paraglide. They intended to return to Kathmandu.
Jaiswal’s relative said to PTI, “But fate had another plan for him.”
These four men were among five Indians who were aboard. Officials claimed that 53 passengers were Nepalese. They also included four Russians, two Koreans, and four Russians. Reports indicate that there was also one passenger from Australia, France and Argentina.
Images from Monday’s crash site as well as the Jaiswal video were everywhere on social media.
Rajendra Prasad Jaiswal Jaiswal’s dad said that Jaiswal couldn’t bear the video. “I only heard about it through Sonu’s friends. Our lives have been thrown into chaos.”
While mourners stood in disbelief around the neighborhood, Anil Rajbhar, Anil Rajbhar’s dad, remained at home.
His son left for Nepal on the 13th of January without informing his family. According to neighbours, Anil packed quietly his bags and fled with his friends while his father worked in the fields.
His father is still disbelieving at the news.
Additional reporting by Shashikant Triwari in Uttar Pradesh
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