Pilot was the only survivor of the plane crash in Nepal

At least 18 people were killed on Wednesday when a plane crashed and caught fire during takeoff in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu.

The pilot, who is currently being treated in hospital, is the only survivor of the fatal accident.

19 people took part in the Saurya Airlines test flight, including the airline’s technical staff and two crew members.

Nepal’s aviation industry has a poor safety record. This has been attributed to several factors over the years, from unpredictable weather to lax regulations.

Saurya Airlines’ test flight on Wednesday was aimed at Pokhara, a popular tourist destination.

Videos posted online showed the plane engulfed in fire and smoke. Fire engines and ambulances were immediately dispatched to the scene of the accident.

The incident occurred at around 11:15 a.m. local time (05:30 GMT), a few minutes after the plane took off from Tribhuvan International Airport. according to a statement from the Search and Rescue Coordination Centre of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

The statement said the plane “turned right and crashed on the east side of the runway.”

“It was reported that the fire was brought under control and rescue operations began immediately,” it said.

“The bodies of 18 people were recovered and one injured person was rescued and taken to hospital.”

Seventeen of the dead are Nepalese and one is a Yemeni citizen.

Airport chief Jagannath Niraula told BBC Nepali that the accident occurred “as soon as the plane took off, within a minute.” However, airport authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of the accident.

Nepalese police spokesman Dan Bahadur Karki also confirmed the deaths to BBC Nepali.

An airport official said there were “some cracking noises” coming from the plane.

Nepal has been criticized for its poor aviation safety record. In January 2023, at least 72 people were killed in a Yeti Airlines crash. later attributed to the pilots having mistakenly switched off the power.

It was the deadliest plane crash in Nepal since 1992, when all 167 people on board a Pakistan International Airlines plane died when it crashed on approach to Kathmandu airport.

Saruya Airlines offers flights to five destinations in Nepal with a fleet of three Bombardier CRJ-200 jets, according to the company’s website.