The accident took place at around 11:00 local time (05:15 GMT) when the Nepalese Saurya Airlines aircraft was taking off from Kathmandu to Pokhara.
The pilot of the plane that crashed in Nepal on Wednesday while taking off from Kathmandu International Airport is the only survivor of the accident, airport authorities reported to local media, which reported the deaths of the other eighteen people who were traveling on board the aircraft. The pilot is currently being transferred to the hospital, said airport spokesman Subash Jha in statements collected by the Nepalese media, The Kathmandu Post, which reports the deaths of the other occupants.
The accident occurred when the plane went off the runway during takeoff, airport spokesman Subash Jha told EFE. The aircraft belonged to the Nepalese airline Saurya Airlines and was heading to the city of Pokhara, a common gateway to the Himalayas. The plane crashed on a small hill located near the airport, according to images shared by Nepalese television station Kantipur TV. Due to its short route, the plane’s medium-sized remains, completely burnt, are visible in the images.
Nepal, where air accidents frequently occur due to poor aircraft and airport infrastructure, rapidly changing weather, and adverse topography, has been the subject of repeated international sanctions for a lack of controls.
Since 2013, the European Union (EU) has barred Nepalese airlines from flying into its borders.
The worst air accident in recent years in Nepal occurred in January 2023, when a Yeti Airlines flight crashed with 72 passengers and no survivors, an accident attributed by authorities to human error.
