Nepal Plane Crash: At least 18 people lost their lives after a Saurya Airlines aircraft crashed on Wednesday during takeoff at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. Following the incident, the airport was shut down. The reason behind the crash is still unknown.
A video of the incident has surfaced on social media. In the video, the exact moment of the plane crash was captured. The footage shows the plane engulfed in flames after it skidded off the runway.
As many as 19 people, including the crew members, were on board the plane bound for Pokhara. The accident occurred around 11 AM, TIA spokesperson Premnath Thakur was quoted as saying by Nepali news website Kathmandu Post. Police and firefighters are carrying out rescue operations at the accident site.
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All 18 bodies of the crew members and passengers have been recovered from the crash site so far. Captain Manish Shakya (37), the pilot of the plane, was rescued and sent to a hospital in Sinamangal.
According to South Asia Time, the plane skidded off the runway during takeoff and crashed. The aircraft burst into flames immediately after the crash. Firefighters and security personnel are on the scene to douse the flames and search for survivors.
The Kathmandu Post quoted witnesses as saying that the plane tried to take off from the southern end of the runway. However, it suddenly listed to a side and the wing tip hit the ground resulting in the plane catching fire and crashing. It then plunged into a gorge on the eastern side of the runway.