Kathmandu | July 24: In a heart-wrenching incident, 18 people were killed in Kathmandu, Nepal after an aircraft of Saurya Airlines crashed during take-off at the Tribhuvan International Airport on Wednesday.
The incident took place on Wednesday at around 11.11 am while plane was taking off.
The plane was scheduled to leave from Kathmandu to Pokhra in Nepal when the incident happened.
There was total 19 passengers in the plane out of which two were crew members and 17 were technicians who were going to Pokhra for maintenance check-ups.
Out of the total, 18 people were killed on the spot and only the pilot of the plane Manish Shankya survived the crash but with head injuries and is being treated at the nearby hospital.
The plane was CRJ – 200ER.
The reason for the crash is still unclear and an investigation committee has been constituted to investigate the reasons behind the crash.
Reportedly, the aircraft was ill-fated and shortly after take-off from runway 02, the aircraft crashed off on the east side of the runway.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), in a press release, said that the ill-fated aircraft took off from the Tribhuvan International Airport at 11.11 am (Nepal Standard Time) on Wednesday. “Shortly after takeoff from runway 02, the aircraft veered off to the right and crashed on the east side of the runway,” the press release said.
It is to be noted that the Nepal has poor records when it comes to aviation industry. According to the Geneva-based Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A), Nepal has witnessed 68 different aviation accidents since 1946, which have claimed a total of 900 lives. The Aviation Safety Network puts the number of fatal accidents (since 1919) at 41, with 878 total fatalities. However, the terrain of Nepal has equally contributed into these crashes but the dearth of investment in new planes and infrastructure, and poor regulation have contributed to these crashes.
