A witness has recorded the moment when the plane crashes with 18 passengers on board. The Saurya Airlines plane hit a small hill located near the vicinity of Kathmandu airport.

Yeti Airlines plane with more than 70 people on board crashes in Nepal

The accident took place around 11:00 local time (5:15 GMT) when the plane went off the runway during the take-off maneuver in the direction of the city of Pokhara, the usual place of entry to the Himalayas.

Although it is the season for seasonal rain-laden winds in Kathmandu, it was not raining at the time of the incident, but visibility was low throughout the capital.

A Saurya Airlines CRJ 200, 9N-AME, has crashed to the side of the runway on takeoff at TIA airport in Kathmandu. Carrying 19 airline technical staff, around 11:00 local time. Captain is sole survivor #Saurya #TIA #Nepal pic.twitter.com/SEziFsaTul

— Nishantha Ruwan (@NishanthaRuwan8) July 24, 2024

Nepal, where air accidents occur with some frequency due to the poor condition of aircraft and airport infrastructure, a rapidly changing climate and adverse terrain, has been the subject of repeated international sanctions for the lack of controls.

In 2019, a Bangladeshi commercial airliner crashed at the capital’s airport, killing 51 people, although 20 of its passengers survived.

Bangladeshi Passenger Plane Crashes in Nepal’s Kathmandu – Reports

The worst plane crash in recent years in Nepal occurred in January 2023, when a Yeti Airlines flight crashed with 72 passengers leaving no survivors, an accident attributed by authorities to human error.

-Thailand News (TN)