Kathmandu: A plane crash occurred in Kathmandu, Nepal on Wednesday morning, killing 18 people on board. The plane, owned by Surya Airlines, was 21 years old and had taken off from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) at 11 am. The plane was on a test flight and was carrying 19 people, including crew members and engineers, from Kathmandu to Pokhara.
The plane caught fire immediately after takeoff and crashed on the runway. The fire was so intense that it produced a thick cloud of smoke. The airport’s fire department and security teams rushed to the scene to put out the fire.
According to the Nepal Police, 18 bodies have been recovered from the wreckage and sent for post-mortem. The captain of the plane is the only survivor and is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital.
The plane, a Bombardier CRJ-200, was purchased by Nepal from Canada in April 2003. It had a capacity of 50 passengers. This is the sixth plane of its kind to be operated by Surya Airlines.
The cause of the crash is still unknown, but it is believed that the plane skidded off the runway during takeoff, leading to the fire and subsequent crash. An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the accident.