At least 18 people were killed when a small plane crashed and burst into flames on takeoff in Nepal's capital Kathmandu today, officials said.
Two crew members and 2 technicians were on board the plane, which was being flown to the city of Pokhara for maintenance checks, airport security chief Arjun Chand Thakuri said.
"Only the captain was rescued alive and is being treated at a hospital," Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport spokesman Tej Bahadur Pundial said.
Shocking footage of #Saurya #airlines flight crash today at #TIA, Kathmandu. The flight, bound for Pokhara, experienced a runway excursion, leading to a tragic accident. Nineteen people, including crew members, were on board. As per preliminary media reports, the plane flipped... pic.twitter.com/nDuTwEl4dx
— Niraj B (@NirajNPL) July 24, 2024
The Kathmandu Post newspaper earlier reported that 5 bodies had been recovered from the crash site. Television footage showed firefighters trying to put out the blaze and thick black smoke billowing into the sky.
The plane "caught fire after it veered off the runway at Kathmandu airport and crashed in an area east of the runway," Thakuri said.
According to officials, the airport was temporarily closed.
2024-07-24: Saurya Airlines CRJ-200 had crashed on take-off at Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Intl Airport(VNKT), Nepal with 19 people on board. The flight was bound for Pokhara. More to come.. pic.twitter.com/mKZ0gql4sY
- JACDEC (@JacdecNew) July 24, 2024
The plane belonged to local airline Saurya Airlines, according to Nepali media. It operates domestic flights in Nepal with two Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jets, according to Flight Radar 24.
Nepal has been criticized for poor aviation safety, and nearly 350 people have been killed in plane or helicopter crashes in the Himalayan country since 2000.
The deadliest crash occurred in 1992 when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus crashed into a hill on approach to Kathmandu, killing 167 people.
More recently, at least 72 people died in the Yeti Airlines plane crash in January 2023, which was attributed to pilot error.
Source: protothema.gr
