Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
ABC News
Plane crashes at Nepal airport, killing all onboard but pilot, officials say
By Helena SkinnerMorgan WinsorKevin Shalvey,
6 hours ago
Eighteen people were killed when a plane crashed during takeoff in Nepal on Wednesday, aviation officials said.
Nineteen people were on board when the Saurya Airlines flight went down at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, according to a notice from the Search and Rescue Coordination Center of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, which was posted online by the airport.
Prakash Mathema/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: People stand at the site after a Saurya Airlines plane crashed during takeoff at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on July 24, 2024.
The domestic flight to Pokhara took off at 11:11 a.m., then "turned right and crashed on the east side of the runway," aviation officials said.
"It is reported that the fire was brought under control and the rescue work was started immediately and the dead bodies of 18 people were collected and 1 injured person was rescued and taken to the hospital," the statement said.
The flight’s pilot survived, the aviation authority said, identifying him as Captain Manish Rana Shakya. He was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries, officials said.
Prabin Ranabhat/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: Rescuers and army personnel stand at the site after a Saurya Airlines' plane crashed during takeoff at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on July 24, 2024.
Officials released the flight’s manifest, which included 16 Nepali passengers and one Yemeni passenger. Officials said all were killed, along with the co-pilot, whose nationality was not listed.
A video streamed live on Facebook from the airport appeared to show people waiting at their departure gate watching in horror as plumes of dark smoke rise near the airport perimeter.
The plane, which aviation officials identified as a CRJ-200, was registered in Nepal as 9N-AME.
The European Commission includes all of Nepal's air carriers, including Saurya, on its "Air Safety List," banning them from operating within the European Union because of safety concerns.
Agniia Galdanova/AP - PHOTO: Smoke rises from the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, July 24, 2024.
That flight, which had also been traveling from Kathmandu to Pokhara, was the country's deadliest plane crash since 1992, an official at the Rescue Coordination Center in Nepal told ABC News at the time.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Comments / 0