Nepal plane crash claims 18 lives; sole survivor hospitalized
At least 18 people died in a plane crash in Nepal on Wednesday. The pilot was the sole survivor of the accident and is in hospital.
According to the BBC, Saurya Airlines' aircraft had about 19 people on board, including technical staff from the airline and two crew members. The plane was en route to Pokhara. The pilot was the only survivor and was transported to Kathmandu Medical College Hospital with eye injuries but in a non-life-threatening condition.
Arjun Chand Thakuri, the airport security chief, quoted by "Sky News," stated that the plane caught fire after it left the runway of Tribhuvan International Airport in the capital, Kathmandu. Footage shows the plane ascending above the runway, then tilting and crashing to the ground.
Social media videos document the rescue operation and firefighters doing everything to extinguish the burning aircraft. Images show rescuers searching the already extinguished wreckage of the plane.
There is no information on what might have caused the plane crash in Nepal. Sky News reminds us that Nepal is currently experiencing the monsoon rainy season. Although it wasn't raining at the time of the crash, visibility throughout the capital was poor.
Airport temporarily closed
Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal's main airport serving international and domestic flights, was temporarily closed after the crash. Nepal has been repeatedly criticised for poor aviation safety standards. In January 2023, at least 72 people died in a Yeti Airlines crash, which was later attributed to pilots who mistakenly cut off the power.
The deadliest air incident occurred in 1992 when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus crashed into a hillside while approaching Kathmandu. 167 people on board died.
