A plane crashed on Wednesday shortly after takeoff from Nepal’s capital, killing 18 people and leaving the pilot as the sole survivor with injuries.
Police official Basanta Rajauri confirmed that all 18 bodies have been recovered. The pilot, who sustained eye injuries, is in stable condition at Kathmandu Medical College Hospital, according to an anonymous doctor who wasn’t authorized to speak to the media.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal reported that the Saurya Airlines plane, heading to Pokhara, took off from Kathmandu airport at 11:11 a.m. local time and crashed moments later in the eastern section of the airport.
Despite the monsoon season, it wasn’t raining during the crash, though visibility was low across Kathmandu. The city’s main airport is surrounded by mountains, making it a challenging site for pilots.
The victims’ bodies have been taken to T.U. Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu for autopsy. The flight manifest listed two pilots and 17 passengers, including 16 Nepali nationals and one Yemeni national.
Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal’s primary airport, has been closed for emergency operations and investigations. Saurya Airlines operates the Bombardier CRJ 200 on domestic routes.
In previous incidents at Tribhuvan airport, a 2019 Bangladeshi airliner crash resulted in 51 deaths, while a 2015 Turkish Airlines jet skidded off the runway without serious injuries.
