Aviation officials confirm 18 fatalities in Nepal passenger plane crash during takeoff

At least 18 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.

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.

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.

A Yeti Airlines passenger plane crashed in Nepal in January 2023, killing all 72 people onboard, including two Americans, officials said.

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.

On March 12, 2021, tragedy struck in Nepal as a passenger plane crashed during takeoff at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. Aviation officials have confirmed that there were 18 fatalities in the crash, marking it as one of the deadliest aviation incidents in the country in recent years.

The aircraft, a Dornier 228 operated by Summit Air, was carrying 20 passengers and crew members when it attempted to take off from the airport. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the plane veer off the runway and crash into a nearby field shortly after lifting off the ground. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but initial reports suggest that there may have been technical issues with the aircraft.

Rescue teams and emergency services quickly responded to the scene of the crash, working tirelessly to extinguish the flames and rescue any survivors. Tragically, only two individuals were able to survive the crash, both of whom sustained serious injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The news of the crash has sent shockwaves through Nepal and the global aviation community, prompting questions about safety protocols and regulations in place at the country’s airports. Aviation officials have assured the public that they are conducting a thorough investigation into the incident to determine the cause of the crash and prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.

In the wake of this devastating event, our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the crash. We also extend our deepest gratitude to the first responders and emergency personnel who worked tirelessly to assist in the aftermath of the tragedy. May we all come together to support those affected by this heartbreaking loss and work towards ensuring the safety and security of air travel for all passengers.