According to officials, a devastating incident occurred in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu on Wednesday, resulting in the loss of 18 lives when a small passenger aircraft owned by Saurya Airlines crashed and burst into flames during takeoff. The ill-fated plane, which was transporting two crew members and 17 technicians for routine maintenance to Nepal’s recently established Pokhara airport, encountered a fatal turn shortly after departing, ultimately crashing on the eastern side of the runway, as per the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal’s statement.
This unfortunate crash has once again highlighted the concerning air safety track record of Nepal, a nation straddled between India and China, heavily reliant on air transport due to its limited road infrastructure. Over the years, close to 350 individuals have perished in aviation accidents in the country since the turn of the millennium.
Following the incident, Nepal’s Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli personally visited the crash site, urging patience via a social media post without further details. An emergency Cabinet session was promptly convened to establish a committee to investigate the crash, as confirmed by a government spokesperson. Of the 18 occupants aboard the downed CRJ-200 aircraft with registration 9N-AME, all but one were Nepali nationals, while a lone engineer hailed from Yemen, as reported by Saurya Airlines.
In a glimmer of hope amidst the tragedy, only the captain survived the crash and is currently undergoing medical treatment at a nearby hospital, according to Tej Bahadur Poudyal, the spokesperson for Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport. Distressing scenes captured by television crews depicted firefighters battling the inferno and thick smoke billowing into the air, along with the aircraft’s fateful descent just above the runway before impact. Rescue teams were observed combing through the charred wreckage strewn across verdant fields, transporting bodies on stretchers to awaiting ambulances while onlookers stood by.
Mukesh Khanal, Saurya Airlines’ marketing head, mentioned that the aircraft was slated for a month-long maintenance schedule starting on Thursday, leaving the cause of the crash shrouded in uncertainty. Kathmandu airport, temporarily shuttered following the tragic event, swiftly resumed operations within hours, officials assured.
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