KATHMANDU, Nepal. A plane crash near Kathmandu on Wednesday resulted in the death of 18 people, with only the pilot surviving the accident. The Saurya Airlines domestic flight was bound for the resort town of Pokhara when it crashed shortly after takeoff.
According to police official Basanta Rajauri, all 18 bodies have been recovered. The pilot, who sustained eye injuries, receives treatment at Kathmandu Medical College Hospital. A doctor at the hospital, who requested anonymity, confirmed that while the pilot’s injuries are serious, his life is not in danger.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal reported that the plane took off from Kathmandu airport at 11:11 a.m. local time. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft turned right but crashed in the eastern section of the airport. Despite it being the monsoon season, there was no rain at the time of the crash, although visibility in Kathmandu was low.
Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal’s primary airport, is situated in a valley surrounded by mountains, making it a challenging location for pilots. The airport’s proximity to the city and the surrounding residential areas add to the complexity of its operations.
The bodies of the victims have been transported to T.U. Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu for autopsy. The flight manifest revealed that there were two pilots and 17 passengers on board. Among the passengers, 16 were Nepali nationals, and one was identified as a Yemeni national.
As emergency crews and investigators commence their work, Tribhuvan International Airport has been temporarily closed. Saurya Airlines, which operates the Bombardier CRJ 200 on domestic routes, is involved in the incident investigation.
This crash follows a history of incidents at Tribhuvan International Airport. In 2019, a Bangladeshi airliner crashed at the airport, resulting in 51 deaths, while 20 survived. An investigation found that the plane was misaligned with the runway and the pilot attempted a desperate landing. In 2015, a Turkish Airlines jet skidded off a runway in dense fog, carrying 238 people, but fortunately, there were no serious injuries.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
