A turboprop passenger aircraft operated by Buddha Air ran off the runway while landing at Bhadrapur Airport in eastern Nepal on Thursday night, though all passengers and crew escaped without injury, the airline and local officials confirmed. The aircraft was carrying 51 passengers along with four crew members on a scheduled flight from Kathmandu. According to the airline, the plane touched down at approximately 9:08 p.m. but was unable to stop within the runway limits, eventually rolling into a grassy area beyond the airstrip. The aircraft came to rest near a small rivulet after overshooting the runway by an estimated 200 metres.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/january-2026-wolf-supermoon-what-time-is-it-and-where-to-see-it-in-india-details-inside-1767377722096">January 2026 Wolf Supermoon: What time is it and where to see it in India? Details inside</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FlightAlert?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FlightAlert</a> काठमाडौंबाट भद्रपुर उडान संख्या 901 जहाज 9N-AMF भद्रपुर विमानस्थलमा अवतरणका क्रममा रनवेबाट बाहिरिएको छ । सो जहाजमा 51 जना यात्रु रहेका थिए । यात्रु एवं चालक दल [४ जना] सबैजना सुरक्षित रहेका छन् । काठमाडौंबाट अर्को जहाजमा टेक्निकल एवं रिलिफ टिम पठाउन लागिएको छ ।&mdash; Buddha Air (@AirBuddha) <a href="https://twitter.com/AirBuddha/status/2007127740613558339?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The flight, identified as 9N-AMF on aviation tracking platforms, was operated using an ATR 72-500 turboprop aircraft. The plane was being flown by pilot Sailesh Limbu at the time of the incident. Authorities said the aircraft sustained only minor damage despite leaving the paved surface.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">भद्रपुर विमानस्थलमा रन–वेबाट चिप्लियो बुद्ध एयर, सबै यात्रु सुरक्षित<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Update?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Update</a> थप- <a href="https://t.co/wW4gPdj3gy">https://t.co/wW4gPdj3gy</a> <a href="https://t.co/DEWb4G0gZq">pic.twitter.com/DEWb4G0gZq</a>&mdash; Onlinekhabar (@Online_khabar) <a href="https://twitter.com/Online_khabar/status/2007121569148248305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Jhapa’s Chief District Officer, Shivaram Gelal, confirmed that no injuries were reported among those onboard. Emergency protocols were activated following the incident, and technical and relief teams have been dispatched from Kathmandu to inspect the aircraft and assess the runway conditions. The aircraft was scheduled to remain overnight at Bhadrapur Airport and operate the first return flight to Kathmandu the following morning. Operations at the airport were briefly affected as safety checks were carried out.<h2>Past incidents in Nepal</h2>Nepal’s aviation sector has faced recurring scrutiny in recent years due to a series of serious accidents. In July 2024, a Bombardier CRJ200LR operated by Saurya Airlines crashed shortly after takeoff from Kathmandu, killing 18 of the 19 people onboard. Earlier, in January 2023, an ATR 72 aircraft operated by Yeti Airlines crashed while attempting to land at Pokhara, resulting in the deaths of all 72 passengers and four crew members after an in-flight error led to a loss of thrust.

Close call as Buddha Air plane skids off runway in Bhadrapur, all 55 passengers onboard safe

A turboprop passenger aircraft operated by Buddha Air ran off the runway while landing at Bhadrapur Airport in eastern Nepal on Thursday night, though all passengers and crew escaped without injury, the airline and local officials confirmed. The aircraft was carrying 51 passengers along with four crew members on a scheduled flight from Kathmandu. According to the airline, the plane touched down at approximately 9:08 p.m. but was unable to stop within the runway limits, eventually rolling into a grassy area beyond the airstrip. The aircraft came to rest near a small rivulet after overshooting the runway by an estimated 200 metres. Also Read: January 2026 Wolf Supermoon: What time is it and where to see it in India? Details inside

A Buddha Air turboprop aircraft veered off the runway during landing at Bhadrapur, Nepal. All 55 people on board are safe. The plane suffered minor damage

At least 68&nbsp;people were killed after a&nbsp;passenger airplane with 72 people on board&nbsp;crashed near Pokhara International Airport in Nepal on Sunday (January 15) minutes before&nbsp;its scheduled landing, reported AFP. The officially declared death toll stands&nbsp;at 68 currently. It was a Yeti Airlines flight. Rescue operations were still underway at the time of the filing of this report and the airport had been closed. The condition of the four remaining flyers was not known yet. There were 68 passengers and four crew members, including two pilots and two airhostesses on the plane. Those on board included three infants and three children. There were five Indians on the flight among the 15 foreigners on the flight. 
 
The flight had taken off from Kathmandu and was headed to Pokhara. The plane crashed minutes before landing, broke and caught fire which was doused later. &nbsp;

A press statement by the&nbsp;Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal informed that there were&nbsp;53 passengers from Nepal, 5 from India, 4 from Russian, 2 from Korea,&nbsp;and one each from Ireland, Australia,&nbsp;Argentina and&nbsp;France on the flight.&nbsp;

Pokhara,&nbsp;one of the most popular tourist destinations in Nepal, is famous for its natural beauty, and for being the gateway to the Annapurna region and&nbsp;is about 200 kilometres from Nepalese capital Kathmandu.&nbsp; 
 
ATR identified the crashed plane as an ATR 72-500. According to plane tracking data from flightradar24.com, the aircraft was 15 years old and “equipped with an old transponder with unreliable data.”

Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda and Home Minister Ravi Lamichane were&nbsp;at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu overseeing the rescue effort. 
 
The Nepal government formed a five-member commission of inquiry to probe the Yeti Airlines plane crash in Pokhara.&nbsp;The emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers also announced a public holiday on January 16 to mourn the victims of the crash.&nbsp; 
 
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel said that the government has decided to observe one day of mourning.

<img alt="Nepal" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="07fea2a0-9adc-4189-8fba-78ef932c1c34" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-01-15%20at%2012.38.54.jpeg" />

(Image: ANI)

 
“The incident was tragic. All forces have been deployed for rescue (operations). The investigation is going on now. I have called an emergency cabinet meeting, and I&nbsp;am going to the cabinet meeting,” Prachanda&nbsp;told the media earlier.

As per the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Yeti Airlines' 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft took off from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport at 10:33 am.&nbsp;

The aircraft crashed while it was trying to land at Pokhara airport. It crashed on the bank of the Seti river between the old airport and the new one.

"So far, dead bodies of 68 people have been recovered from the crash site," an official at the Search and Rescue Coordination Committee of the CAAN told the news agency PTI over the phone.&nbsp;However, the dead bodies are yet to be identified, he added.&nbsp; 
 
The five Indians have been identified as Sanjay Jaiswal, Sonu Jaiswal, Anil Kumar Rajbhar, Abhishek Kushwaha and Vishal Sharma.&nbsp;

India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar shared the helpline numbers of the Indian Embassy in Nepal in a tweet and said,&nbsp;“Deeply grieved on hearing about the air crash in Pokhara, Nepal. Our thoughts are with the affected families.”

Plane crashes are common in Nepal, which has a poor flight safety record. 
 
Nepali airlines are banned from European Union airspace since 2013 after eight Britons were killed in a Kathmandu plane crash. 
 
In May 2022, all the 22 people, including four Indians, onboard a Tara Air flight on a Canadian-built turboprop Twin Otter 9N-AET plane were killed after it had crashed in Nepal’s mountainous Mustang district after departing from Pokhara. 
 
The Yeti Air crash on Sunday was the deadliest in Nepal since 1992, when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A300 had crashed. On September 28, 1992, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Flight 268 had crashed while approaching Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Airport (KTM). All 167 passengers and crew were killed, making it the deadliest ever crash involving PIA and the worst crash in the history of Nepalese aviation.

Nepal, a Himalayan country, has some of the world's most remote and trickiest runways. Many of these are located between high, snow-capped mountain peaks, something that throws up challenges for even the most experienced pilots.

Nepal's aviation industry has been plagued by poor safety records. Insufficient training and maintenance are said to be the reasons.

Aircraft operators say Nepal lacks infrastructure for accurate weather forecasts, especially in remote areas with challenging mountainous terrain where deadly crashes have taken place in the past.&nbsp;

The weather can also change quickly in the mountains, creating treacherous flying conditions.

(With inputs from agencies)

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At least 68 people were killed after a passenger airplane with 72 people on board crashed near Pokhara International Airport in Nepal on Sunday (January 15) minutes before its scheduled landing, reported AFP.

At least 68 people were killed after a passenger airplane with 72 people on board crashed near Pokhara International Airport in Nepal on Sunday (January 15) minutes before its scheduled landing, reported AFP. The officially declared death toll stands at 68 currently. It was a Yeti Airlines flight. Rescue operations were still underway at the time of the filing of this report and the airport had been closed. The condition of the four remaining flyers was not known yet. There were 68 passengers and four crew members, including two pilots and two airhostesses on the plane. Those on board included three infants and three children. There were five Indians on the flight among the 15 foreigners on the flight. The flight had taken off from Kathmandu and was headed to Pokhara. The plane crashed minutes before landing, broke and caught fire which was doused later. A press statement by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal informed that there were 53 passengers from Nepal, 5 from India, 4 from Russian, 2 from Korea, and one each from Ireland, Australia, Argentina and France on the flight. Pokhara, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Nepal, is famous for its natural beauty, and for being the gateway to the Annapurna region and is about 200 kilometres from Nepalese capital Kathmandu. ATR identified the crashed plane as an ATR 72-500. According to plane tracking data from flightradar24.com, the aircraft was 15 years old and “equipped with an old transponder with unreliable data.” Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda and Home Minister Ravi Lamichane were at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu overseeing the rescue effort. The Nepal government formed a five-member commission of inquiry to probe the Yeti Airlines plane crash in Pokhara. The emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers also announced a public holiday on January 16 to mourn the victims of the crash. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel said that the government has decided to observe one day of mourning. (Image: ANI) “The incident was tragic. All forces have been deployed for rescue (operations). The investigation is going on now. I have called an emergency cabinet meeting, and I am going to the cabinet meeting,” Prachanda told the media earlier. As per the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Yeti Airlines' 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft took off from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport at 10:33 am. The aircraft crashed while it was trying to land at Pokhara airport. It crashed on the bank of the Seti river between the old airport and the new one. "So far, dead bodies of 68 people have been recovered from the crash site," an official at the Search and Rescue Coordination Committee of the CAAN told the news agency PTI over the phone. However, the dead bodies are yet to be identified, he added. The five Indians have been identified as Sanjay Jaiswal, Sonu Jaiswal, Anil Kumar Rajbhar, Abhishek Kushwaha and Vishal Sharma. India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar shared the helpline numbers of the Indian Embassy in Nepal in a tweet and said, “Deeply grieved on hearing about the air crash in Pokhara, Nepal. Our thoughts are with the affected families.” Plane crashes are common in Nepal, which has a poor flight safety record. Nepali airlines are banned from European Union airspace since 2013 after eight Britons were killed in a Kathmandu plane crash. In May 2022, all the 22 people, including four Indians, onboard a Tara Air flight on a Canadian-built turboprop Twin Otter 9N-AET plane were killed after it had crashed in Nepal’s mountainous Mustang district after departing from Pokhara. The Yeti Air crash on Sunday was the deadliest in Nepal since 1992, when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A300 had crashed. On September 28, 1992, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Flight 268 had crashed while approaching Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Airport (KTM). All 167 passengers and crew were killed, making it the deadliest ever crash involving PIA and the worst crash in the history of Nepalese aviation. Nepal, a Himalayan country, has some of the world's most remote and trickiest runways. Many of these are located between high, snow-capped mountain peaks, something that throws up challenges for even the most experienced pilots. Nepal's aviation industry has been plagued by poor safety records. Insufficient training and maintenance are said to be the reasons. Aircraft operators say Nepal lacks infrastructure for accurate weather forecasts, especially in remote areas with challenging mountainous terrain where deadly crashes have taken place in the past. The weather can also change quickly in the mountains, creating treacherous flying conditions. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Nepal’s worst air crash in 30 years: 68 killed as passenger plane with 72 onboard crashes near Pokhara

Nepal will be resuming both domestic flights and inter-district vehicular movement from September 21, said Yogesh Bhattarai, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.

In a telephonic conversation with ANI, Bhattarai confirmed that the Council of Ministers held a meeting on Monday wherein they decided to resume domestic flights and inter-district vehicular movement from September 21.

On September 10, The Himalayan Times had reported that the government is likely to extend the suspension of domestic flights till October 1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ignoring requests of the private sector and public demand.

Meanwhile, according to the Health Ministry, Nepal&nbsp;reported 1,170 new coronavirus cases till Monday, taking the national tally to 55,329.

Nepal will be resuming both domestic flights and inter-district vehicular movement from September 21, said Yogesh Bhattarai, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.

Nepal will be resuming both domestic flights and inter-district vehicular movement from September 21, said Yogesh Bhattarai, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. In a telephonic conversation with ANI, Bhattarai confirmed that the Council of Ministers held a meeting on Monday wherein they decided to resume domestic flights and inter-district vehicular movement from September 21. On September 10, The Himalayan Times had reported that the government is likely to extend the suspension of domestic flights till October 1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ignoring requests of the private sector and public demand. Meanwhile, according to the Health Ministry, Nepal reported 1,170 new coronavirus cases till Monday, taking the national tally to 55,329.

Nepal to resume domestic flight operations from September 21

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Close call as Buddha Air plane skids off runway in Bhadrapur, all 55 passengers onboard safe

Nepal’s worst air crash in 30 years: 68 killed as passenger plane with 72 onboard crashes near Pokhara

Nepal to resume domestic flight operations from September 21