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On Wednesday, a catastrophic incident occurred when a Saurya Airlines plane crashed and erupted in flames shortly after taking off from Kathmandu, Nepal, resulting in the deaths of eighteen people. The pilot, who is the sole survivor, is currently receiving medical care for injuries incurred during the crash.
The tragic flight, which was headed to Pokhara for a scheduled maintenance check, carried 17 airline employees, including technical staff, and two crew members. The accident took place around 11:15 AM local time (05:30 GMT), just minutes after departure from Tribhuvan International Airport, as reported by the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority’s search and rescue coordination center.
Eyewitnesses described hearing a loud noise, followed by the plane crashing and bursting into flames. One witness remarked, “It sounded like a truck had overturned. The plane hit the ground, caught fire, and then exploded.”
The ill-fated flight was en route to Pokhara for routine maintenance
The ill-fated flight was en route to Pokhara for routine maintenance
Police spokesperson Dan Bahadur Karki told BBC Nepali that the pilot suffered injuries to his eyes and forehead but is not in critical condition. Airport chief Jagannath Niraula mentioned that the crash occurred almost immediately after takeoff, with initial assessments indicating that the plane had veered off course.
Footage from the incident showed the plane tilting above the runway before crashing and being engulfed in flames and smoke. Rescue workers were seen navigating through the charred wreckage, with parts of the aircraft found inside an air freight container. Emergency services promptly arrived at the scene.
The passengers included 17 Nepali nationals and one Yemeni engineer. Mukesh Khanal, the head of marketing for Saurya Airlines, noted that the aircraft was scheduled for a month-long maintenance starting Thursday. The cause of the crash is still unknown.
Kathmandu’s airport temporarily closed following the crash but reopened within hours. Nepal’s aviation sector has faced criticism for its safety record, with factors such as unpredictable weather and lax regulations often cited. The country witnessed its deadliest air crash in January 2023, when a Yeti Airlines flight crashed, killing at least 72 people.
Saurya Airlines operates flights to five destinations within Nepal, utilizing a fleet of three Bombardier CRJ-200 jets, according to the company’s website.
