Nepal's tourism minister Adhikari cremated with full state honours

Nepal's Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Rabindra Adhikari, who was killed in a helicopter crash, was cremated Friday with full state honours.

A large number of leaders and people marched in the funeral procession through Pokhara and reached Ramghat to pay their last tributes to Adhikari.

The Nepal Army marked the leader's demise with a 61-gun-salute before he was cremated at the banks of Seti river. His elder son, Biraj Adhikari, lit the funeral pyre as per Hindu traditions. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Ishkwor Pokharel attended the funeral.

Mortal remains of Adhikari had been kept at Pokhara Exhibition Centre for final tributes since Friday morning which was followed by the funeral procession.

Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and other leaders paid tributes to the minister.

A private helicopter crashed on February 27 killing the 39-year-old tourism minister, Nepal's prominent aviation and hospitality entrepreneur Ang Tsering Sherpa, Prime Minister's personal aide Yubaraj Dahal, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Deputy Director General Dhurba Bhochhibhoya, CAAN Deputy Director Yubaraj Dahal, Nepal Army official Arjun Kumar Ghimire and the pilot, Captain Prabhakar KC.

The helicopter burst into flames after it hit a hill while Adhikari was returning to Kathmandu after visiting famous Hindu temple Pathibhara in Eastern Nepal.

The minister accompanied by the technical team from the Ministry of Civil Aviation had gone for a feasibility study for an airstrip in Chuhandanda, in Tehrathum district.

The last rite of five other victims were performed at Pashupati Aryaghat in Kathmandu as per Hindu and Buddhist traditions.

The last rites of Sherpa, chairman of Yeti Airlines, would be performed on Sunday as per Buddhist tradition, said the family sources.