On Wednesday, a Saurya Airlines aircraft crashed in Kathmandu, Nepal, killing 18 people, with the pilot being the sole survivor. Dramatic CCTV footage of the incident has since gone viral.
At least 18 people lost their lives when a Saurya Airlines plane crashed at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, Nepal, after veering off the runway during takeoff on Wednesday. The pilot, among the 19 people onboard, is the sole survivor. Following the tragic incident, dramatic CCTV footage showing the aircraft losing control and crashing before erupting into a ball of fire has gone viral on social media platforms.
The flight, heading to Pokhara, suffered a runway excursion, flipping with its wing tip hitting the ground, eyewitnesses reported. The plane then caught fire and plunged into a gorge between the Buddha Air hangar and the radar station on the eastern side of the runway. The scene, recorded by bystanders, shows thick billows of smoke rising from the crash site.
Tribhuwan International Airport Live Footage Of Plane Crash Of Shaurya Airlines pic.twitter.com/tCcOM1uWPs
— Harish S. Samant (@SmtHarris): At least 18 dead as aircraft skids off runway, catches fire in Kathmandu - SOURCE KATHMANDU POST pic.twitter.com/w51KmfemMv
— mishikasingh (@mishika_singh)Moments before a plane crashes at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal's
19 onboard dead pic.twitter.com/5vVbHMrmsb
The accident occurred after the Pokhara-bound flight suffered a runway excursion during takeoff, said TIA Spokesperson Subash Jha. As per latest update from Nepal police, 18 people died in the tragic incident and one person survived.
"More details regarding Saurya Airlines plane crash at Tribhuvan International Airport on 2081/04/09 at 11:00. Passengers: 19 people (18 Nepalese and 1 Yemeni national, going to Pokhara for maintenance, all employees of Saurya Airlines) Death- 18, Rescue- 1," the police wrote in its latest post on X.
१३:०० बजे
२०८१/०४/०९ गते ११:०० बजे त्रिभुवन अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय विमानस्थलमा सौर्य एयरलाइन्सको विमान दुर्घटना सम्बन्धमा थप विवरण
सवार: १९ जना (१८ जना नेपाली र १ जना यमन नागरिक, मर्मतको लागि पोखरा जान लागेको, सम्पूर्ण सौर्य एयरलाइन्सका कर्मचारीहरू)
मृत्यु- १८,
उद्दार- १ pic.twitter.com/N5MlSSUfpy
मिति २०८१।०४।०९ गते त्रिभुवन अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय विमानस्थल, गौचर काठमाण्डौमा भएको सौर्य एयरलाइन्सको विमान दुर्घटना पश्चात उद्धार कार्यमा नेपाल प्रहरी pic.twitter.com/0t2OAh2DZK
— Nepal Police (@NepalPoliceHQ)According to reports, the lone survivor of the plane crash i.e. Captain MR Shakya was rushed to Kathmandu Medical College Hospital for treatment. A doctor at the hospital was quoted as saying that the pilot sustained injuries to his eyes but is not in any danger.
The cause of the crash remains unclear, and an investigation is underway to determine how the plane slipped off the runway. The accident happened despite the weather being dry at the time, although visibility was low across the capital.
Local media images and videos show the devastating aftermath, with wreckage scattered in a ditch and emergency responders, including police and firefighters, working to control the fire and rescue any survivors. Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal's main hub for both international and domestic flights, has been closed as emergency crews continue their efforts.
Nepal : Saurya Airlines CRJ-200 had crashed on take-off at Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Intl Airport(VNKT), Nepal with 19 people on board. The flight was bound for Pokhara. More to come.. pic.twitter.com/1Pk4xxo40g
— Baba Banaras™ (@RealBababanaras)| नेपाल के काठमांडू में त्रिभुवन अंतर्राष्ट्रीय हवाई अड्डे पर एक विमान दुर्घटनाग्रस्त हो गया, दुर्घटनाग्रस्त विमान में 19 लोग सवार थे। | pic.twitter.com/huAwPaJO3f
— Anchor Manish Kumar (@manishA20058305)Saurya Airlines operates the Bombardier CRJ 200 on domestic routes and has yet to release an official statement regarding the incident.
In 2019, a tragic incident at Tribhuvan International Airport involved a Bangladeshi airliner that crashed, resulting in the loss of 51 lives while 20 people on board survived. The investigation revealed that the plane was misaligned with the runway, and the pilot, disoriented, attempted to land in "sheer desperation," leading to the crash.
In 2015, a Turkish Airlines jet encountered difficulties while landing in dense fog and skidded off a slippery runway at the same airport. The plane was carrying 238 passengers, but fortunately, there were no serious injuries.