A tragic plane crash in Nepal has claimed the lives of 18 individuals, with the sole survivor being the aircraft’s captain.
Incident occurred Wednesday morning when a passenger plane, bound for Pokhara from Kathmandu, burst into flames and crashed into a gorge shortly after takeoff.
The aircraft, carrying 19 people including two crew members and 17 technicians, was involved in a mission to repair another plane in Pokhara. The plane caught fire immediately following departure and plunged into a gorge located east of the runway.
The captain, who survived the crash, is currently receiving treatment for a head injury, according to airport officials.
Emergency responders, including police and firefighters, remain on-site managing rescue operations amidst heavy smoke.
Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu’s primary airport for both international and domestic flights, has been closed as a result of the crash.
While it was not raining at the time of the incident, visibility was reported to be low in the capital.
This crash follows a similar disaster on January 15 of the previous year, when a Yeti Airlines twin-engine ATR 72-500 crashed near Pokhara International Airport, killing 72 people. That accident was caused by a pilot error involving the accidental cutoff of power.
#WATCH | Plane crashes at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal's Kathmandu
Details awaited pic.twitter.com/DNXHSvZxCz
— ANI (@ANI) July 24, 2024
The current crash marks Nepal’s deadliest air disaster since 1992, when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A300 crashed into a hillside near Kathmandu, resulting in 167 fatalities.
