Everest Tourist Plane Crashes, 19 Dead

(AP) – A plane carrying tourists to view Mount Everest crashed while attempting to land in Nepal today, killing all 19 people on board, including 13 foreigners. Ten Indians, two Americans, and one Japanese citizen were among the victims, Tourism Secretary Ganeshraj Joshi said. The turboprop plane belonging to Buddha Air was also carrying three Nepalese passengers and three crew members when it crashed in Bisankunarayan village, just a few miles south of Katmandu.

A witness, Haribol Poudel, told Avenues Television that the plane hit the roof of a house in the village and broke into several pieces. No casualties were reported on the ground. Poudel said it was foggy and visibility was very low in the mountainous area. A rescue official said 18 bodies were pulled out of the plane's wreckage, and another victim died after being rushed to a hospital. The two Americans were identified as Andrew Wade and Natalie Neilan, while the Japanese citizen was Toshinori Uejima. The Beechcraft 1900D plane had taken the passengers to view Mount Everest and other peaks on a one-hour "mountain flight" and was returning to Katmandu. The government ordered an investigation.