A passenger plane crashed and caught fire shortly after taking off from Kathmandu, Nepal, killing 18 people, according to aviation officials.
The crash occurred on Wednesday when the 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200, operated by Saurya Airlines, went down shortly after departing at 11:11am local time (05:26 GMT).
The aircraft, which was on a test flight to the resort town of Pokhara, veered off course and crashed into the eastern part of the airport.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal confirmed that 19 people were on board, including technical staff and two crew members.
The pilot survived the crash and is being treated at Kathmandu Medical College Hospital. The pilot reportedly sustained eye injuries but is not in immediate danger.
The wreckage, which split apart and burned, was taken to the TU Teaching Hospital for autopsy.
Images shared by Nepal’s military and broadcast media showed the damaged fuselage and bodies being transported to ambulances.
Rescue workers were seen searching through the charred remains of the plane.
Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal’s main hub for both international and domestic flights, was closed for several hours while emergency response and investigative efforts took place.
The airport is situated in a valley surrounded by mountains, making it a challenging location for pilots. Larger planes must navigate through a mountain gap to land.
Nepal’s aviation sector has experienced growth in recent years, serving remote areas and supporting tourism.
However, the country has a troubled aviation safety record, marked by numerous fatal light plane and helicopter crashes.
Contributing factors include inadequate training and maintenance, as well as the country’s difficult geography and unpredictable weather.
Nepal’s last major commercial flight accident occurred in January 2023, when a Yeti Airlines flight crashed while landing at Pokhara, resulting in 72 fatalities.
Other significant accidents include a 2018 crash involving a Bangladeshi plane in Kathmandu that killed at least 49 people, and a 1992 Pakistan International Airlines crash at Kathmandu airport that claimed 167 lives.
Earlier that year, a Thai Airways flight also crashed near the same airport, killing 113 people.
Source-Aljazeera
