KATHMANDU: Thirteen Indian pilgrims were among 15 persons killed when a small private plane crashed in northern Nepal today after hitting a hill top while attempting to land at the high-altitude Jomsom airport.

The Dornier aircraft belonging to Agni Air that flew from the resort town of Pokhara on its way to Jomsom crashed while landing at the mountain airstrip, said an official at the Rescue Coordination Committee of Tribhuvan International Airport. 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.

Six people on board, including three Indians, an air hostess and two Danish nationals have been rescued alive from the crash site, he said.

The injured people were taken to a hospital in Pokhara and the three Indians who survived the crash were out of danger, said Rescue Coordination Committee of the Tribhuvan International Airport.

There were altogether 21 persons in the aircraft with 16 Indians, two Danish nationals and three Nepali crew members.

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. — PTI

NEW DELHI: Cartoons are not a laughing matter for politicians after a 63-year-old cartoon of Dr B.R. Ambedkar led to uproarious scenes in Parliament, forcing the Union Government to apologise. Finance Minister Pranab Mukerjee assured Parliament on Monday that no political cartoons would be allowed in school textbooks and all objectionable material would be withdrawn after there was a ruckus over a cartoon of B.R. Ambedkar in NCERT Class XI social science textbook.

Announcing that books with cartoons on leaders would not be prescribed, Mukherjee said that the entire publication would be withdrawn. He also assured the agitated MPs that appropriate action would be taken against those who indulged in such acts. 
"Whatever is circulated will be withdrawn, those books will not be prescribed as textbooks. The entire publication will be withdrawn. Action will be taken against those who indulged in this. The House will be informed by either me or the HRD Minister about the same. The responsibility will be fixed and action will be taken against all involved," said Mukherjee.

A ruckus had broken out in the Lok Sabha a day after a Parliamentary forum headed by Speaker Meira Kumar told the NCERT that there should be no political satire in school textbooks. Sources say MPs want all cartoons of politicians to be removed.