Who is the only survivor of the Kathmandu disaster that killed 18 people? DETAILS – India TV

Kathmandu: A tragic incident occurred when a small plane caught fire at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport after it skidded off the runway and crashed during takeoff on Wednesday, killing 18 of 19 passengers. Only the pilot of the CRJ200 aircraft survived the fatal incident.

The plane was carrying two crew members and 17 technicians to the city of Pokhara for maintenance checks, said airport security chief Arjun Chand Thakuri. According to the Civil Aviation Authority, the Saurya Air plane with the call sign 9N-AME/CRJ 200 crashed on Wednesday at 11:11 am (local time) while taking off from Tribhuvan International Airport to Pokhara.

The plane belonged to local carrier Saurya Airlines, which, according to Flight Radar, operates 24 domestic flights in Nepal using two Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jets, both about 20 years old. According to eyewitnesses, the plane was taking off from the southern end of the runway when it suddenly rolled over and its wingtip hit the ground.

Who is the only survivor of the crash in Nepal?

The captain has been identified as Captain Manish Ratna Shakya, who is a pilot of the CRJ200 regional aircraft and also the Operations Manager at Saurya Airlines, according to the airline’s official website. According to his LinkedIn profile, he has been working with Saurya Airlines for over nine years after spending nearly three years with Simrik Airlines. He completed his education from St. Xavier’s School.

Captain Shakya, 37, was rescued from the wreckage and taken to KMC Hospital in Sinamangal for treatment, according to police. He is the only survivor of the crash as 18 of the 19 passengers on board the plane are confirmed dead. The pilot has eye injuries but is not in any danger, a doctor at the hospital said.

Nepal’s dismal security record

Nepal has been criticized for its poor aviation safety record. The worst incident occurred in 1992, when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus crashed into a mountainside on approach to Kathmandu, killing 167 people. In January 2023, a Yeti Airlines plane crashed near the central city of Pokhara. All 72 passengers on board, including five Indians, were killed.

Earlier, on May 29, 2022, a Tara flight carrying 22 people, including four Indians from Thane, crashed in Nepal’s mountainous Mustang district, killing all on board. Bad weather seems to be the main factor behind plane crashes in Nepal. The mountainous country experiences frequent weather fluctuations, and without a proper weather forecasting mechanism, it is difficult to operate a flight. Moreover, Nepal has some of the most strenuous and remote runways in the world, which pose a challenge even for experienced pilots.

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