JUST IN: 18 Dead in Plane Crash, Pilot Survives

In a devastating incident on Wednesday, a small passenger plane crashed on takeoff in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, resulting in the deaths of 18 people, according to AFP reports.

The plane, which was en route to Pokhara with two crew members and 17 technicians on board, burst into flames upon takeoff. Miraculously, the pilot was rescued from the wreckage and is currently receiving treatment at a hospital, confirmed Tej Bahadur Poudyal, spokesman for Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport.

Television footage showed firefighters battling the blaze and thick black smoke billowing into the sky. Eyewitnesses captured the plane flying just above the runway before it tilted and crashed. Rescue workers were seen sifting through the charred remains of the aircraft, with bodies being carried to ambulances on stretchers amidst the lush green fields.

The aircraft involved was a Bombardier, reportedly operated by Saurya Airlines, a local carrier known for its domestic flights using two Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jets, both approximately 20 years old, according to Flight Radar 24.

This tragic event has once again highlighted Nepal’s troubling air safety record, with nearly 350 fatalities in plane or helicopter crashes since 2000. The country’s deadliest aviation disaster occurred in 1992, when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus crashed into a hillside near Kathmandu, killing 167 people. More recently, a Yeti Airlines crash in January 2023 resulted in the deaths of at least 72 people, an incident attributed to pilot error.

Following the crash, Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport has been temporarily closed as authorities investigate the cause of the accident and ensure the safety of future operations.