Kathmandu, Nepal – A passenger plane crashed during take-off in Kathmandu on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of 18 people. The pilot was rescued from the wreckage and is currently receiving medical treatment, according to Nepali police.
Nepal has a troubling history with aviation safety, and the Himalayan republic has experienced numerous fatal light plane and helicopter crashes over the years.
The ill-fated Saurya Airlines flight was carrying two crew members and 17 of the company’s staff. Nepali police spokesman Dan Bahadur Karki confirmed, “The pilot has been rescued and is being treated. Eighteen bodies have been recovered, including one foreigner. We are in the process of taking them for post-mortem.”
The Civil Aviation Authority identified the deceased foreigner as a Yemeni citizen.
According to a news release from the airport, the aircraft “veered off to the right and crashed on the east side of the runway” shortly after take-off. The surviving pilot is in serious condition at the hospital.
Eyewitness Ram Kumar K.C., who runs a tyre store near the crash site, described the harrowing scene. “We were about to run to the site, but then there was an explosion, so we ran away again,” he said.
Gyanendra Bhul of Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority stated that the flight was being conducted for technical or maintenance purposes, without providing further details.
Images from Nepal’s military show the aftermath of the crash, with the plane’s fuselage split apart and burnt. Approximately a dozen soldiers in camouflage gear were seen standing on the wreckage, with the surrounding area covered in fire retardant.
Dozens of grieving relatives gathered outside a nearby hospital where the bodies were transported from the crash site. Rajan Acharya, the brother of a safety officer aboard the flight, expressed his sorrow, “I am heartbroken. He was my brother, but even more than that, we were best friends.”
