Nepalese commission starts crash investigation

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... [read full story]