A plane carrying 19 people crashed during takeoff from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport. The accident resulted in multiple fatalities, with only the pilot surviving the crash. The pilot is currently receiving medical treatment, according to police spokesman Dan Bahadur Karki, as reported by news agency AFP.
Local media reported that 18 people were killed in the crash.
A dramatic video has surfaced online, capturing the exact moment the Saurya Airlines plane crashed. The footage shows the plane engulfed in flames shortly after it skidded off the runway.
🔴#BREAKING | Video Shows Exact Moment Plane Crashed At Kathmandu Airport #NepalPlaneCrash#Kathmandu#Nepalpic.twitter.com/saj1eUNN9m
— NDTV (@ndtv) July 24, 2024
The crash occurred at approximately 11:15 am local time (0530 GMT), as confirmed by Nepal's military in an official statement. "Rescue work is ongoing," the statement read.
Local news outlet, the Kathmandu Post, reported that the flight was carrying 19 people, on its way to Pokhara, a major tourist destination in the Himalayan nation. Khabarhub, another news portal, reported that the plane caught fire after skidding on the runway, releasing a plume of smoke.
Saurya Airlines operates exclusively with Bombardier CRJ 200 jets, as mentioned on their website. Although Nepal's aviation sector has grown recently, the expansion has been marred by poor safety standards, inadequate training, and maintenance issues.
The European Union has placed a blanket ban on all Nepali carriers from its airspace, citing safety concerns. Nepal’s challenging geography, with its high-altitude runways surrounded by mountainous terrain, poses challenges for even the most experienced pilots. The weather in these regions is also notoriously unpredictable, further complicating aviation safety.
The country's last major commercial flight disaster occurred in January last year, when a Yeti Airlines plane crashed while landing in Pokhara, resulting in the deaths of all 72 people on board. That incident was the deadliest since 1992, when a Pakistan International Airlines flight crashed on approach to Kathmandu, killing all 167 passengers and crew. The same year, a Thai Airways flight also crashed near Kathmandu, killing 113.