- At least 68 people died on Sunday in a plane crash near Pokhara, Nepal.
- The victims include a Nepali folk singer, an Argentine hotelier, and a Russian travel blogger.
At least 68 passengers died in a plane crash on Sunday in central Nepal, and information is beginning to emerge about who they were.
The flight, run by Nepali carrier Yeti Airlines, crashed near Pokhara airport at around 10:50 a.m., Reuters reported. It was only meant to last 30 minutes.
Four crew and 68 passengers were on board the ATR 72 plane. Among the dead were a Nepali folk singer, a Russian travel blogger, and an Argentine hotelier.
Nepali folk singer Nira Chhantyal
Nira Chhantyal, the folk singer, was traveling to Pokhara to perform at an event on Monday, according to her Facebook page.
She had 125,100 followers on Tiktok, where she posted videos of herself singing, dancing and lip syncing to songs in Nepali.
She posted a celebratory greeting for the Nepali festival of Maghe Sankranti on Facebook on Sunday, less than an hour before the crash.
On Saturday, Chhantyal posted a series of photos of her singing and posing at a community event in Kathmandu. "Now we enjoy Pokhara tomorrow," she wrote.
Russian travel blogger Elena Banduro
Elena Banduro, a 33-year-old travel blogger, posted a selfie of herself on a plane with the caption: "Go to Nepal!" before the plane went down, according to the British news site Metro.
She worked as a social-media manager for a software company, according to her Facebook page. She documented her travels in Russia, Europe, and Asia on her Instagram page and her blog.
Banduro was one of four Russians in the crash. The Russian ambassador to Nepal, Alexei Novikov, confirmed that all four Russian had died, according to the state-run TASS news agency.
Argentine hotelier Jannet Palavecino
Jannet Palavecino was the manager of the Hotel Suizo in Neuquen city, according to her Facebook page. Her page described her as a lover of cycling, mountains, gardening, and painting.
Palavecino was 57, according to Argentine newspaper Clarin.
The governor of Neuquen province, Omar Gutierrez, tweeted his condolences for Palavecino's passing on Sunday. "We will miss you and always keep you in our memory," he wrote.
Neuquen's local soccer club, Atletico Pacifico, wrote on Facebook that Palavecino was the sister of its former president, Omar Palavecino.
"From the football subcommission, we send our condolences to Omar and family and we accompany them in this difficult time," wrote the club.