SINGAPORE: President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have written to the leaders of Nepal and Bangladesh to express their condolences over Monday's (Mar 12) plane crash in Kathmandu which killed at least 49 people.
The US-Bangla Airlines plane, which had 71 people on board, was flying from Dhaka and crashed into a field near the Nepal airport while trying to land.
Most of the passengers were Nepali or Bangladeshi.
In a letter to her Bangladesh counterpart Md Abdul Hamid dated Mar 13, President Halimah Yacob said she was "deeply saddened" to hear about the accident.
"On behalf of the people of Singapore, I convey our deepest condolences and sympathies to those who lost their loved ones in this tragedy.
"Our thoughts are with the families of the victims, and those who were injured in this tragic accident," she said.
AdvertisementAdvertisementMr Lee also expressed his condolences to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was in Singapore for her first official visit when the plane crash happened.
"It is with great sorrow that I learnt of the tragic crash of US-Bangla Airlines flight 211," Mr Lee wrote.
"On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Singapore, I extend my deepest condolences to you and the families of those who have perished. Our thoughts are with them at this time of grief," he added.
Separately, Mr Lee wrote to the Prime Minister of Nepal K P Sharma Oli, saying he was "saddened" to learn about the crash.
"On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Singapore, I extend our deepest condolences and sympathies to the families in Nepal who lost their loved ones in this tragedy.
"Our heartfelt sympathies also go to those who were injured in this tragic accident," he said.
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