18 people have been killed in the crash of a Saurya Airlines CRJ200 aircraft during takeoff from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM).
The fatal accident occurred on July 24, 2024 at around 11:00 local time.
The aircraft, a Canadair CRJ-200ER with registration 9N-AME, was bound for Pokhara Airport (PKR) to repair another aircraft. The 21-year old plane carried 19 people, made up of 17 technicians and two crew members.
A spokesperson for KTM Airport was quoted by Reuters as reporting that only the flight’s captain was the sole surivivor and is currently receiving treatment at a hospital.
Video footage and photographs of the crash were captured and uploaded on social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter).
The clips show the aircraft crashing 200 meters to the right of the runway centerline and bursting into flames.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal issued a statement confirming the crash.
“[The aircraft] took off from Kathmandu to Pokhara at 11:11 local time, turned right, and crashed on the east side of the runway. It is reported that rescue operations were started immediately and the fire was brought under control and the dead bodies of 18 people were collected, and one injured person was rescued and taken to the hospital,” the statement said.
On January 15, 2023, an ATR 72 aircraft operated by Yeti Airlines crashed just before it was due to land in Pokhara, killing 72 people. It was the plane crash with the most fatalities in Nepal in 30 years.
