18 people killed, pilot sole survivor after plane skids off runway and crashes in Nepal

Eighteen people were killed after a small plane veered off the runway and crashed while taking off from Kathmandu, Nepal on Wednesday, officials said.

The pilot of the Saurya Airlines aircraft was "seriously injured" and taken to the hospital and is the only known survivor of the crash, officials said.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal , the plane took off from Kathmandu Airport around 11:11 local time bound for Pokhara. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft "veered off to the right and crashed on the east side of the runway."

The aviation authority said rescue operations were initiated immediately and, after getting the fire under control, 18 people were found dead.

The plane was headed to Pokhara for maintenance, police said on social media, and all 19 passengers were airline employees. Eighteen of those on board were Nepali citizens while one engineer was from Yemen, Reuters reported.

"The plane was scheduled to undergo maintenance for a month beginning Thursday ... It is unclear why it crashed," said Mukesh Khanal, marketing head of Saurya Airlines, according to Reuters.

2023 Nepal plane crash: At least 4 US residents among 72 people killed in Nepal plane crash

72 people killed in plane crash in Nepal last year

In January 2023, 72 people were killed in a plane crash in Nepal, including at least two U.S. citizens and two permanent residents.

All 68 passengers and a crew of four died after Yeti Airlines Flight 691 crashed just minutes before landing.

The ATR 72-500 plane was completing a 27-minute flight from Kathmandu. It crashed at about 10:50 a.m. local time as it approached the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, according to the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority.

“The incident was tragic," Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said at the time. "The full force of the Nepali army police has been deployed for rescue."

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 18 people killed, pilot sole survivor after plane skids off runway and crashes in Nepal