Kathmandu, Jul. 24, (dpa/GNA)- At least 18 people have been confirmed dead after an airplane crashed in Nepal on Wednesday, police said.
Shortly after take-off, the plane, belonging to the domestic carrier Saurya Airlines, veered to the right and crashed on the side of the runway at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, the civil aviation authority said in a statement.
The aircraft with 19 people on board was bound for the tourist town of Pokhara, around 200 kilometres north-west of the capital city.
The chief of airport security said the bodies of 18 people have been recovered. “One crew member is seriously injured and is receiving treatment,” he told dpa.
He added that all those aboard were employees of the same airline. “All 19 on board were staff of Saurya Airlines and were going to Pokhara for maintenance work,” he said.
Security personnel and airport firefighters reached the crash site within minutes and worked to extinguish the flames and rescue any survivors.
TIA General Manager Jagannath Niraoula said that it is still unclear how the accident happened.
Due to the mountainous terrain and rapidly changing weather conditions in Nepal, but also due to safety challenges, aircraft accidents occur time and again.
In January 2023, 72 people died when a Nepalese Yeti Airlines aircraft crashed on its approach to Pokhara.
Pokhara is the starting point for numerous trekking tours in the Himalayas.
GNA