Kathmandu, Nepal
Nepal Plane Crash Videos: A Pokhara-bound Saurya Airlines plane with 19 people onboard crashed at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, Nepal during takeoff.
As of now, 18 people have been confirmed dead and pilot Captain Manish Shakya has been rescued and taken to Kathmandu Medical College (KMC) hospital.
Also Read: Nepal Flight Crash: Several dead, pilot rescued after plane crash, says police
The plane had caught fire when it skidded while taking off at the runway and fell down an embankment. The fire was put off by the firefighters.
Dramatic video of Nepal plane crash emerges
Various videos from the site of the accident were shared on social media in which a large fire with plumes of smoke was seen rising at the airport.
More very sad visuals are coming.
19 people were reported to be on board Shaurya Airlines flight took off from KTM to Pokhara, incl. 2 pilots, 2 crew and 15 passengers. As per Authorities.
Its also news aircraft was on maintenance ferry to Pokhara #Nepal #planecrash #aviation https://t.co/XI7rMScBUi pic.twitter.com/2Pcc19gZWB
— ???????? ✈️? (@RaghavanO7) July 24, 2024
Two chilling footage also surfaced in which the exact moment the plane crashed was recorded. In the video, the plane is seen crashing and turning into a ball of flame soon after.
Live footage of plane crash in Kathmandu, Nepal during takeoff. 18 dead so far. #Nepal #sauryaairlines #planecrash pic.twitter.com/IBX91q69Iu
— Anuj Joshi (@joshianuj7) July 24, 2024
The crash took place around 11:15 am local time (0530 GMT), said Nepal's military in an official statement. "Rescue work is ongoing," the statement added.
It was reported by the Kathmandu Post newspaper that 18 bodies were recovered by the officials from the crash site.
“The accident occurred after the Pokhara-bound flight suffered a runway excursion during takeoff,” TIA Spokesperson Subash Jha said.
Watch: Nepal: Saurya Airlines aircraft crashes during takeoff in Kathmandu
The Himalayan Times newspaper stated that the plane had only some technical staff of the airline aboard.
”There were no passengers on board but the plane was carrying few technical staff,” said Gyanendra Bhul, information officer at the TIA.
In a statement, the TIA said, "CRJ7 (Reg-9NAME) of Sourya Airlines took off from Kathmandu at 11:11 am local time during the flight to Pokhara, turned right and crashed at a place on the east side of the runway. It is reported that the fire was brought under control and the rescue work was started immediately. The dead bodies of 18 people were recovered and 1 injured person was rescued and taken to the hospital."
The airport has been shut down by the authorities after the crash which has impacted dozens of international and domestic flights.
(With inputs from agencies)