Katmandu:A Saurya Airlines flight skidded off the runway while taking off from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Wednesday morning, resulting in the deaths of 18 people. There were two crew members and 16 technicians onboard the flight to Pokhara city for maintenance checks, according to Airport Security Chief Arjun Chand Thakuri.
The only survivor, pilot Manish Shankya, was rescued and taken to a nearby hospital, where he is undergoing treatment for a head injury. Rescue operations are underway by the Nepal Army.
The crash took place when the aircraft veered off the runway and burst into flames. Footage from the spot showed dramatic scenes of the plane speeding down the runway before a fire broke out. The plane was completely overturned after its wingtip hit the ground during takeoff, immediately caught fire, and fell into a gorge on the eastern side of the runway.
The plane belonged to local carrier Saurya Airlines, which operates domestic flights in Nepal using two Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jets, both approximately 20 years old, according to Flight Radar 24.
This incident follows a similar tragedy in January last year when a Yeti Airlines flight crashed just before landing in Pokhara, resulting in the deaths of 72 people, including five Indians.
Input from PTI