Pilot Remains the Sole Survivor of Nepal Plane Crash

By M Muzamil Shami

Eighteen people lost their lives when a plane crashed and erupted in flames during takeoff from Kathmandu, Nepal's capital. The only survivor of Wednesday’s tragic incident is the pilot, who is currently hospitalized after being rescued from the fiery wreckage.

The Saurya Airlines flight, heading to the Himalayan tourist destination of Pokhara, was carrying 17 employees, including technical staff, and two crew members.

Nepal's aviation sector has struggled with safety issues for years, with problems ranging from unpredictable weather conditions to insufficient regulations.

The flight, en route to Pokhara for a routine maintenance check, crashed around 11:15 local time (05:30 GMT), just minutes after departing from Tribhuvan International Airport, according to a statement from the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority's search and rescue coordination center.

Police spokesperson Dan Bahadur Karki informed BBC Nepali that the pilot suffered injuries to his eyes and forehead but is not in life-threatening condition.

A witness who was in a nearby shop during the incident described the event: "There was a tremendous noise, almost like a truck overturning. We ran out when we saw the crash. The plane then struck the ground and erupted into flames. We were about to approach the site but a subsequent explosion forced us to flee again," he recounted to AFP news agency.

Airport chief Jagannath Niraula informed BBC Nepali that the accident occurred almost immediately after takeoff, within less than a minute. However, the exact cause of the disaster has yet to be confirmed by airport authorities.

The head of Tribhuvan International Airport revealed that an initial assessment indicated the plane had deviated from its intended flight path.

Mr. Niraula explained to BBC Nepali, "The aircraft turned right right after takeoff when it should have turned left."

Footage of the incident captured the plane tilting above the runway before crashing to the ground and igniting in flames. The aircraft was quickly engulfed in fire and smoke.

Photos revealed rescue workers navigating through the debris, with significant sections of the plane severely burned and charred. Images from the scene also showed remnants of the plane inside an air freight container.

Fire engines and ambulances were swiftly dispatched to the location following the incident.

The victims included seventeen Nepali nationals and one Yemeni engineer.

Saurya Airlines marketing head Mukesh Khanal informed Reuters that the plane was scheduled for a month-long maintenance starting Thursday, but the cause of the crash remains unknown.

Kathmandu's airport briefly closed after the crash but resumed operations within a few hours, according to Reuters.

Nepal has faced criticism over its air safety standards following a tragic incident in January 2023, where a Yeti Airlines crash claimed the lives of at least 72 people. The accident was later found to be caused by the pilots inadvertently shutting off the power.

This crash marked Nepal's deadliest air disaster since 1992, when a Pakistan International Airlines flight, en route to Kathmandu Airport, crashed on approach, resulting in the death of all 167 passengers and crew on board.

Saruya Airlines, as noted on its website, operates flights to five destinations within Nepal and maintains a fleet of three Bombardier CRJ-200 jets.