Nepal plane crash: 18 dead as aircraft crashes during takeoff at Kathmandu airport

Eighteen people lost their lives on Wednesday morning when a Saurya Airlines flight skidded off the runway during takeoff from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. The aircraft, which was en route to Pokhara city for maintenance checks, was carrying two crew members and 16 technicians, according to Airport Security Chief Arjun Chand Thakuri, as reported by Reuters.

Pilot Manish Shankya survived the crash and is receiving treatment for a head injury at a nearby hospital. The Nepal army is leading the ongoing rescue operations.

According to eyewitnesses quoted by The Kathmandu Post, the plane flipped after its wing-tip struck the ground during takeoff. They reported that the aircraft immediately caught fire and plunged into a gorge on the eastern side of the runway.

The aircraft belonged to Saurya Airlines, a local carrier in Nepal. According to media reports, Saurya operates domestic flights using two Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jets, both approximately 20 years old, as per Flight Radar 24.

watch video: 

https://x.com/ANI/status/1816004873441210431

In January last year, a Yeti Airlines flight crashed just before landing in Nepal’s tourist city of Pokhara, resulting in the deaths of 72 people, including five Indians. According to Reuters, nearly 350 people have died in plane or helicopter crashes in Nepal since 2000. The deadliest incident occurred in 1992, when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus crashed into a hillside while approaching Kathmandu, killing 167 people.