KATHMANDU, Feb 28: All seven bodies of the Taplejung crash victims have been brought to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), Kathmandu for postmortem and identification.

The bodies were taken to the hospital from the Tribhuvan International Airport after being airlifted from Suketar airport.

An Air Dynasty helicopter carrying Tourism Minister Rabindra Adhikari and his team had crashed shortly after take off in Taplejung district killing all on board.

Minister Adhikari, Managing Director of Yeti Airlines, Aang Tshiring Sherpa, Deputy Director-General of Civil Aviation Authority Nepal, Birendra Prasad Shrestha, and Director Durba Bhochhibhoya, Under-Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Yubraj Dahal, Captain Pravakar KC and security guard of Minister Adhikari, Arjun Kumar Ghimire were killed in the crash.

According to sources only two of the seven bodies are identifiable. Minister Adhikari’s body was not completely burnt while his body guard is identifiable with the help of the boots he was wearing.

Photos: Mukunda Kalikote

KATHMANDU, Feb 28: The mortal remains of the seven victims including Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari, who were killed in a helicopter crash in Taplejung district on Wednesday, have been brought to Kathmandu.

The bodies were airlifted from Suketar airport at 12:10 am today.

The Nepal Army chopper was able to hook only four dead bodies from the helicopter crash site at Dare Bhir to Suketar Airport on Wednesday evening. The task of collecting bodies of the victims remained affected and incomplete due to rain and snowfall in the area.

The helicopters carrying the bodies landed at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu at 1:25 pm today with improvement in weather. The bodies will be taken to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital for postmortem before lifting to Tundikhel for final tribute.

KATHMANDU, Feb 28: Nepal Communist Party has decided to hoist the party flag at half-mast for three days at its offices across the country to mourn the departed soul of Tourism Minister Rabindra Adhikari, who was killed in a helicopter crash on Wednesday.

Minister Adhikari and his team comprising of six members, who were returning after a visit to Pathivara temple, were all killed when the chopper carrying them crashed at Dare Bhir in Taplijung district.

A secretariat meeting of the party took the decision in this regard, according to party Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha.

According to Shrestha, the party has also decided to organize a condolence program at party headquarter in Dhumbarai on March 7.

KATHMANDU, Feb 28: Chairperson of Nepal Communist Party, Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has extended condolences to the bereaved family of Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Rabindra Adhikari, who was killed in a helicopter crash on Wednesday.

Minister Adhikari and his team comprising of six members were killed in a helicopter crash at Dare Bhir in Taplejung district on Wednesday afternoon.

Reaching the official residence of Minister Adhikari at Pulchowk this morning, Chair Dahal extended condolences to the family members of late Adhikari.

Similarly, the NCP Chair also met with family members of tourism entrepreneur Aang Tshiring Sherpa, Deputy Director General of Civil Aviation Authority Nepal, Birendra Prasad Shrestha, and Under-Secretary of the government of Nepal, Yubraj Dahal and extended condolences to them, according to Dahal’s Secretariat.

KATHMANDU, Feb 28: The bodies of Rabindra Adhikari, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and six others, who were killed in a chopper crash in Taplejung district on Wednesday, will be kept at Tundikhel for the final tributes.

The bodies are currently being airlifted to the capital from the Suketar airport.

The bodies will be taken to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital from the Tribhuvan International Airport for autopsy—before bringing them to Tundikhel.

Then bodies will then be handed over to the relatives.

Meanwhile, parents of Minister Adhikar have already arrived at the capital to receive the bodies. Minister Adhikari’s last rite will be performed in his hometown Pokhara.

Tourism Minister Adhikari, six others killed in helicopter crash in Taplejung

Bad weather reason behind Air Dynasty chopper crash carrying Minister Adhikari