Kathmandu: At least 18 people were killed after a Saurya Airlines aircraft crashed during takeoff at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Nepal's Kathmandu on July 24, PTI news agency reported. Nineteen people, including aircrew, were aboard the Pokhara-bound plane which met with the accident at around 11 am, said Premnath Thakur, TIA spokesperson, said.
The aircraft was bound for the famous resort town of Pokhara when the accident occurred. The pilot has been taken to a hospital, a security official deployed at the airport told PTI news agency without giving further details. Soon after the incident, police and firefighters arrived at the accident site to carry out rescue operations.
(Photo courtesy: X@NepalPoliceHQ)
Sources said that the plane caught fire upon impact, but the blaze was quickly extinguished by emergency responders. Saurya Airlines exclusively flies Bombardier CRJ 200 jets, according to its website.
Nepal averages about one flight disaster a year. Since 2010, the country has witnessed at least 12 fatal plane crashes, including the latest one. In January 2023, a Yeti Airlines flight crashed near the central city of Pokhara. All 72 people on board, including passengers and crew members, lost their lives in the incident. The aircraft plummeted into a steep gorge, breaking into pieces and bursting into flames as it approached Pokhara.
On May 29, 2022, a Tara Air plane crashed in Mustang district, resulting in the fatalities of all 22 individuals aboard. In 2018, a tragic accident occurred near Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport involving a US-Bangla Airlines flight. The plane crash-landed, causing the death of 51 people, while 20 others sustained serious injuries.
