accident - Airplane crashes in Nepal shortly after takeoff - 18 dead
In the Himalayan country Nepal, according to the police, 18 out of 19 people on board were killed in a plane crash. The captain was the only survivor, who was severely injured and taken to a hospital, as Dambar Bahadur BK, the leading policeman and head of airport security, told the German Press Agency upon request.
The plane of the Nepalese airline Saurya Airlines had veered off course and crashed onto a part of the runway at the International Airport of the capital Kathmandu, according to a statement by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. Initially, it was reported that the aircraft had come off the runway during takeoff.
All 19 people on board were employees of Saurya Airlines, who were to be deployed for maintenance work on another aircraft in Pokhara, approximately half an hour away, as BK further stated. Large smoke clouds were visible at the accident site in the photos. The cause of the crash was initially unclear.
In Nepal, due to its mountainous terrain and rapidly changing weather conditions, as well as safety concerns, there are frequent aviation accidents. The aviation safety oversight by the Nepalese civil aviation authorities is deemed insufficient by the EU.
In January 2023, 72 people were killed in an aviation accident - the Nepalese Yeti Airlines plane was involved in an accident during its approach to Pokhara. Pokhara is the starting point for numerous trekking tours in the Himalayas.
- Despite the frequent aviation accidents in Nepal due to its challenging terrain and weather conditions, the Nepalese Civil Aviation Authority's aviation safety oversight is considered insufficient by the EU.
- The police in Kathmandu, led by Dambar Bahadur BK, are investigating the cause of the air traffic accident involving a Nepalese aircraft, which resulted in 18 fatalities and left the captain severely injured.
- Following the plane crash in Kathmandu, the German Press Agency reported that the plane of Saurya Airlines, a Nepalese airline, veered off course and crashed onto a part of the runway during maintenance work preparations for another aircraft in Pokhara.
- BK, the leading policeman and head of airport security, informed the media that all 19 passengers on board the aircraft were employees of Saurya Airlines who were en route to Pokhara for maintenance work on another aircraft, but an aircraft crash in the Himalayan country resulted in a significant loss of life.
- According to reports from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, air traffic incidents such as the aircraft crash in Kathmandu are a concern, and the Authority is working to improve safety measures and adhere to international aviation standards in Nepal and the Himalayan region.
