World News

Nepal plane crash claims 18 passengers, pilot sole survivor

"The Saurya Airlines flight was carrying two crew and 17 of the company’s staff members, Nepali police spokesman Dan Bahadur Karki said"

419

A passenger plane crashed on takeoff in Kathmandu on Wednesday, with the pilot rescued from the flaming wreckage but all 18 others aboard killed.

Nepal has a woeful track record on aviation safety, and the Himalayan Republic has seen a spate of deadly light plane and helicopter crashes over the decades.

The Saurya Airlines flight was carrying two crew members and 17 of the company’s staff members, Nepali police spokesman Dan Bahadur Karki said.

The pilot has been rescued and is being treated,” he added.

“Eighteen bodies have been recovered, including one foreigner. We are in the process of taking them for post-mortem.”

The flight was being conducted for either technical or maintenance purposes, Gyanendra Bhul of Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority told AFP without giving further details.

Images of the aftermath shared by Nepal’s military showed the plane’s fuselage split apart and burnt to a husk.

Around a dozen soldiers in camouflage were standing on top of the wreckage, with the surrounding earth coated in fire retardant.

The plane crashed at around 11:15 a.m. (0530 GMT), the military said in a statement, adding that the army’s quick response team had been lending assistance with rescue efforts.

News portal Khabarhub reported that the airplane had caught fire after skidding on the runway.

The plane was scheduled to fly on Nepal’s busiest air route between Kathmandu and Pokhara, an important tourism hub in the Himalayan republic.

Saurya Airlines exclusively flies Bombardier CRJ200 jets, according to its website.

In recent years, Nepal’s air industry has boomed, carrying goods and people between hard-to-reach areas, as well as foreign trekkers and climbers.

But it has been plagued by poor safety due to insufficient training and maintenance — issues compounded by the mountainous republic’s treacherous geography.

Due to safety concerns, the European Union has banned all Nepali carriers from its airspace.

The Himalayan country has some of the world’s trickiest runways to land on, flanked by snow-capped peaks with approaches that pose a challenge even for accomplished pilots.

The weather can also change quickly in the mountains, creating treacherous flying conditions.

Nepal’s last major commercial flight accident was in January 2023, when a Yeti Airlines service crashed while landing at Pokhara, killing all 72 aboard.

That accident was Nepal’s deadliest since 1992, when all 167 people aboard a Pakistan International Airlines plane died when it crashed on approach to Kathmandu airport.

Earlier that year, a Thai Airways aircraft crashed near the same airport, killing 113 people.

Leave a comment

Related Articles

Just in: ICC issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu, others

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister...

Just in: South Africa takes over G20 Presidency from Brazil, first African nation to lead the bloc

South Africa has taken over the presidency of the G20 from Brazil,...

Russian Pres. Putin signs decree for nuclear retaliation against non-nuclear states

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a decree allowing Moscow to...

India PM arrives in Nigeria, first by an Indian leader since 2007

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has welcomed the Prime Minister of India, Narendra...

Just in: Southwest plane with 99 passengers on board struck by gunfire in US

A Southwest Airlines plane was reportedly struck by gunfire at Dallas Love...

Tragedy strikes in China’s Zhuhai city, 35 killed, 40 injured in deadly car attack

A devastating car attack in southern China’s Zhuhai city has left 35...

Tragedy as 46-year-old man kills 4 family members, takes own life after Trump’s victory

A 46-year-old United States man, Anthony Nephew, has shot fatally himself, his...

Number of Nigerian Cybercriminals jailed in US surges, some bag lengthy sentences

The number of Nigerian cybercriminals who have been imprisoned in the United...

Canada shuts down Chinese-owned TikTok business operation, cites national security

The Canadian government has shut down the operations of the Chinese-owned TikTok...

Ex-US Pres. Obama congratulates Trump on presidential victory

In a bid to further strengthen democracy, former President of the United...

Updated: Donald Trump beats Kamala Harris in a crucial presidential race

Donald Trump, a Republican, has secured a remarkable victory in the US...

US poll: Harris postpones election night’s address till Thursday

Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign has announced that she won’t be addressing...

Just in: Trump wins US presidential election

Donald Trump has won the US presidential election, US media announced on...

US election: Pres. Tinubu congratulates Trump

President Bola Tinubu has extended his heartfelt congratulations to President Donald Trump...

Trump, Harris secure their first statewide victories as polls close

Republican Donald Trump won eight states in Tuesday’s U.S. presidential election while...

Election Day Showdown: Harris and Trump Hold Duelling Rallies as Polls Reach Dead Heat

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump held rival rallies on Monday, the final...

Equatorial Guinea government official embroiled in sextape scandal

Mr. Baltasar Engonga, Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF)...

Just in: UK Conservative Party elects former Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch as new leader

Former British Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch has emerged as the new leader...

Ghana’s Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey is Commonwealth Secretary-General

The 56-nation Commonwealth has announced Ghana’s Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey as its new...

3 Africans Vie for Commonwealth Secretary General post

An Analysis Three African candidates – Ghana’s Foreign Minister Shirley Botchwey, Lesotho’s...