Kathmandu, May 14: Thirteen Indian pilgrims were among 15 persons killed today when a small plane with 21 people on board crashed in northern Nepal after hitting a hill top while attempting to land at a high-altitude airport.
 Six others, including three Indians and two Danish nationals, miraculously survived the crash of the Dornier 9N AIG aircraft belonging to the private carrier Agni Air, nearly eight months after 10 Indians perished in an air disaster near here.
 The plane, which flew from the resort town of Pokhara on its way to Jomsom, crashed at 9.30 am local time while landing at the mountain airstrip, said an official at the Rescue Coordination Committee of Tribhuvan International Airport.
 The passengers had chartered the flight to take them from the central tourist hub of Pokhara to Muktinath, a famous Hindu pilgrimage in Jomsom near Tibetan border at the foot of the Thorong La Himalayan mountain pass, the official said.
 He said there were possibilities of a technical fault.Thirteen Indian nationals and two Nepalese crew member were killed in the crash," the official said, adding rescuers have so far recovered nine bodies from the wreckage.
 He said three Indians including two children, a Nepalese air hostess and two Danes have been rescued alive from the crash site.
 The injured were taken to a hospital in Pokhara and the three Indians who survived were out of danger, said Rescue Coordination Committee of the Tribhuvan International Airport. 

Lastupdate on : Mon, 14 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 14 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 IST