49 killed in air disaster

A PLANE crash at Nepal’s main airport killed 49 of the 71 on board, police said yesterday.

The plane, flying low and erratically, struck the ground and erupted in flames.

The pilot did not follow the control tower’s instructions and approached the airport’s one runway from the wrong direction, the Kathmandu airport’s general manager said.

Discussions between pilot and air traffic controllers indicated confusion over the direction the plane should land.