Live streams are typically utilized for celebrations or by celebrities aiming to engage with their fans. However, in 2023, one video tragically captured the final moments aboard an aircraft just before a catastrophic crash.
Tragically, all 72 passengers aboard Yeti Airlines flight 691 lost their lives when the plane crashed in January 2023 during its journey from Kathmandu to Pokhara in Nepal.
The aircraft was making its final approach to runway 12 at Pokhara International Airport when it met with disaster, crashing onto the bank of the Seti River before partially settling in a deep gorge.
Warning: Distressing Content
An inquest earlier this year delved into the death of British-born passenger Ruan Crighton. During this inquest, HM Coroner’s Court for North London revealed that one of the two pilots on the plane mistakenly adjusted the propeller angle instead of the wing flaps before the crash, as reported by BBC News.
Crighton’s death was attributed to blunt force injuries to his head, chest, and abdomen due to the crash.
Sonu Jaiswal, a 25-year-old passenger aboard the flight, was live streaming on Facebook shortly before the crash, unintentionally capturing some of the plane’s final moments on camera.
The 90-second video showed the plane as it approached the runway, flying over buildings and green fields as it crossed Pokhara in the Himalayan foothills.
Jaiswal captured these scenic views, but approximately 50 seconds into the video, the plane suddenly began to plummet from the sky.
The video contained sounds of anxious passengers, followed by the noise of the crash. Jaiswal vanished from the screen, yet his phone continued to film the burning aircraft.
In the aftermath of the crash, Jaiswal’s family struggled to accept his death until confronted with the footage he had recorded.
His brother Deepak shared with The Associated Press at the time: “We couldn’t believe the news until we saw the video. It was painful.”
Deepak also expressed, as reported by Al Jazeera, “He was not just my brother. I have lost a friend in him.”
Arun Tamu, an eyewitness to the event, recounted the crash to Reuters: “Half of the plane is on the hillside. The other half has fallen into the gorge of the Seti river.”
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