Pilot lone survivor, 18 killed as plane crashes during takeoff

A Nepalese private plane crashed and caught fire shortly after taking off from the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Wednesday, killing 18 people aboard, including a child, and seriously injuring the pilot -- the only survivor.

The Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft of Saurya Airlines, carrying 19 people, including two crew members and technical staff of the airline, was bound for Pokhara International Airport for regular maintenance service when the accident occurred at 11.11 am (local time).

"Shortly after takeoff from runway 02, the aircraft veered off to the right and crashed on the east side of the runway," said a statement issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

It said rescue operations were initiated immediately and fire was brought under control.

"One injured person (Captain Manish Ratna Shakya) was rescued and taken to the hospital, and 18 people were found dead," it added.

The aviation authority identified one of the passengers as a child named Adhiraj Sharma, who was the son of Manu Raj Sharma, a technician of Saurya Airlines.

Sharma's wife Priza Khatiwada and their four-year old son Adhiraj died in the crash.

A statement issued by the airline said that Priza and her son were initially identified as employees of the company, but it was later revealed that they were passengers.

Videos posted online showed the plane being enveloped in fire and smoke. Fire engines and ambulances were rushed to the spot after the incident.

The deceased were identified as co-pilot S Katuwal and employees of Saurya Airlines and a Yemeni national (Aref Reda). Pilot Captain Manish Shakya, 37, is undergoing treatment at Kathmandu Model Hospital.

Of the deceased, 15 died on the spot while three died during treatment at a local hospital, authorities said.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Home Minister Ramesh Lekh separately visited the accident site to gather details about the incident and provide necessary directives.

Oli said he was deeply saddened by the tragic deaths in the crash and was at the site to inquire about the cause of the air crash with the Civil Aviation Authority's officials. He urged all for patience at this hour of grief.

According to Tribhuvan International Airport chief Jagannath Niraula, the plane flying from Kathmandu to Pokhara turned in the wrong direction.

"As soon as it took off, it turned right instead of turning left," Niraula was quoted as saying by the BBC News Nepali.

However, "The cause of the accident has not been revealed yet," he said.

The accident happened less than a minute after the plane took off, Niraula said.

The aircraft "suffered a runway excursion and burst into massive flames immediately", the Search and Rescue Centre of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal earlier said.

The aircraft, manufactured by the Canadian company Bombardier in April 2003, was the sixth of its kind purchased for use in Nepal, according to information from planesspotters.com.

Following the accident, services at the Kathmandu airport were halted briefly before being resumed, the airport authorities said.

According to the company's website, Saruya Airlines operates flights to five tourist destinations within Nepal, with a fleet of three Bombardier CRJ-200 jets.

Nepal has been criticised for its poor air safety record in recent years but the reasons also partly include sudden weather changes and partly airstrips located in hard-to-access rocky terrains, apart from human error.

According to Nepal's civil aviation body, 914 people have died in air crashes in the country since the first disaster was recorded in August 1955.

In January last year, all 72 people on board, including five Indians, were killed when a Yeti Airlines aircraft crashed in the resort city of Pokhara. The crash was attributed to human error.

Yeti Airlines' 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft crashed on the bank of the Seti River between the old airport and the new airport minutes before landing on January 15, 2023, which was the 104th crash in Nepali skies and the third biggest in terms of casualties.

The only incidents in which more people were killed took place in July and September 1992. Those crashes involved aircraft of Thai Airways and Pakistan International Airlines and left 113 and 167 people dead, respectively.

On May 29, 2022, all 22 people on board, including four members of an Indian family, were killed as a Tara Air plane crashed in Nepal's mountainous Mustang district.

In 2016, all 23 people aboard were killed when a plane of the same airline flying the same route crashed after takeoff.

In March 2018, a US-Bangla Air crash occurred at the Tribhuvan International Airport, killing 51 people on board.