November 18, 2001	Sunday	Ramazan 2, 1422

KATHMANDU, Nov 17: A Twin Otter aircraft loaded with emergency food supplies crashed in remote western Nepal after it was struck by a vulture on Saturday morning, an airport official said.

The Yeti Airlines plane took off from Surkhet, 380 kilometres northwest of here, carrying the supplies for Jumla district 80 kilometres away when the vulture struck a cockpit window, the Kathmandu Airport Rescue Co-ordination official said.

After the collision the window fell out and the windshield was damaged, causing the plane to crash at Lamra Danda airstrip, injuring its captain Kush Bahadur Thapa.

The officials said the plane was badly damaged.

Thapa was being treated locally but co-pilot Vasant Lama and cabin attendant R. K. Shrestha escaped unhurt, the official said.—AFP