By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
A Saurya Airlines plane, carrying 19 people, including crew members, crashed during takeoff at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Wednesday morning.
The flight, headed to Pokhara, caught fire after skidding on the runway, resulting in 18 fatalities. The pilot was rescued from the wreckage. Nepal’s military and police have confirmed the incident, with rescue operations still underway. The crash involved a Bombardier CRJ 200 jet, a model exclusively operated by Saurya Airlines.
This tragedy underscores ongoing safety concerns in Nepal’s rapidly growing aviation industry, which has faced issues related to inadequate training and maintenance. The incident is reminiscent of previous aviation disasters in the country, including a deadly crash in January 2023 involving Yeti Airlines and a historic 1992 crash that killed 167 people. The cause of the current crash is under investigation, and the identities of the victims have not yet been released.
