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Nepal plane crash: 18 bodies recovered, pilot survives as flight skids off runway and catches fire
At least 18 bodies were recovered from the small plane that caught fire after skidding off the runway during takeoff from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Wednesday, according to media reports and officials.
The pilot, however, has been rescued and is being treated at the hospital.
The aircraft, operated by local carrier Saurya Airlines, was carrying two crew members and 17 technicians to Pokhara city for maintenance checks, airport security chief Arjun Chand Thakuri said.
“The plane skidded off the runway and crashed into a field east of the runway,” Thakuri confirmed reported Reuters. The fire that erupted from the crash was extinguished by emergency responders.
Television footage showed firefighters battling the blaze as thick black smoke billowed into the sky.
Saurya Airlines, which operates domestic flights within Nepal, uses two Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jets, both of which are approximately 20 years old, according to Flight Radar 24.
Nepal has faced significant criticism over its air safety record. The deadliest incident in recent history occurred in 1992 when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus crashed into a hillside near Kathmandu, resulting in 167 fatalities. More recently, in January 2023, a Yeti Airlines crash resulted in 72 deaths, attributed to pilot error in cutting off power.
Investigations into the crash is underway.
The pilot, however, has been rescued and is being treated at the hospital.
The aircraft, operated by local carrier Saurya Airlines, was carrying two crew members and 17 technicians to Pokhara city for maintenance checks, airport security chief Arjun Chand Thakuri said.
“The plane skidded off the runway and crashed into a field east of the runway,” Thakuri confirmed reported Reuters. The fire that erupted from the crash was extinguished by emergency responders.
Television footage showed firefighters battling the blaze as thick black smoke billowed into the sky.
Saurya Airlines, which operates domestic flights within Nepal, uses two Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jets, both of which are approximately 20 years old, according to Flight Radar 24.
Nepal has faced significant criticism over its air safety record. The deadliest incident in recent history occurred in 1992 when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus crashed into a hillside near Kathmandu, resulting in 167 fatalities. More recently, in January 2023, a Yeti Airlines crash resulted in 72 deaths, attributed to pilot error in cutting off power.
Investigations into the crash is underway.
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