Nepal court orders full damages for 2018 crash; US-Bangla says yet to get such order
It is still unclear whether such a verdict has indeed been passed, says the airline.
US-Bangla Airlines today (26 July) initially debunked reports that a Nepali court had ordered it to pay full compensation to families of victims of a 2018 fatal crash in Kathmandu, but a couple of hours later, the airline said it is looking into the matter as it is yet to receive any official information or document regarding the order.
According to a report published on 22 July by The Kathmandu Post, the Kathmandu District Court that day issued a verdict directing the Dhaka-based airline to provide $2.74 million in compensation to the families of passengers who died in the crash of Flight 211 in March 2018.
However, in response, US-Bangla Airlines said that no such order has been communicated to the airline.
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"Recently, no court in Nepal has issued any verdict against US-Bangla Airlines. The report published in The Kathmandu Post is completely false and fictitious," the airline stated in a press release yesterday.
It further said that the US-Bangla authorities believe it is inappropriate for any Bangladeshi media to publish news based on reports of a national daily from another country without having a copy of the court order.
After almost two hours, the airline sent another press release clarifying its stance, stating, "The airline has not yet received any official information or court order related to this matter. It is still unclear whether such a verdict has indeed been passed.
"Our legal team is reviewing the issue seriously. If any such verdict exists, it will be analysed legally, and necessary information will be communicated to the media and authorities concerned in due course," it added.
The airline then requested the local media to refrain from circulating reports published in any international media regarding this matter without verified court information or a copy of the judgement.
The flight, which was en route from Dhaka to Kathmandu, crashed during landing at Tribhuvan International Airport on 12 March 2018, resulting in the deaths of 51 people out of 71 on board.
The Kathmandu District Court's order, which Kathmandu Post cited in its report, said the airline is required to pay a total of $2.74 million (approximately Tk33.5 crore) to 17 families. This amount is in addition to the $20,000 per family already paid under international insurance obligations.
