Nepal Plane Crash
: Recently, a major accident occurred at Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport due to a flight crash. A significant revelation has now come to light. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff, engulfing in flames. Among the passengers were 18 unfortunate souls, including a child, who lost their lives, while the pilot suffered severe injuries. Remarkably, the pilot was the only survivor of this tragic incident.
The aircraft, a Bombardier CRJ-200 from Saurya Airlines, carried 19 persons, including two crew members and technical staff. It was en route to Pokhara International Airport for regular maintenance service when disaster struck.
'Moments After Liftoff...'
Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority stated that the aircraft made an unexpected turn shortly after taking off from Runway 02, resulting in a crash on the runway's eastern part. Rescue operations were initiated immediately, and the fire was brought under control.
The statement reported that the injured pilot, Captain Manish Ratna Shakya, was rescued and hospitalized, while 18 people were declared deceased. The victims included Co-Pilot S. Katuwal, Saurya Airlines staff, and a Yemeni citizen, Aref Reda.
Among the casualties were the airline's technician, Manu Raj Sharma, his wife Prija Khatiwada, and their four-year-old son, Aadi Raj Sharma. Prija worked as an assistant computer operator in the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation.
An airline statement clarified that initially, Prija and her son were identified as employees but were later revealed to be passengers.
Only One Survivor
The agency reported that 15 of the casualties died at the scene, while three succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. The bodies were sent to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital for post-mortem. Captain Shakya (37) was the sole survivor and is undergoing treatment at Kathmandu Model Hospital.
Officials at Kathmandu Medical Hospital (KMC) detailed that Captain Shakya is in critical condition due to injuries from the accident. He is undergoing eye and spine surgery and has been placed in the neuro-intensive care unit (ICU).
Visit by the Prime Minister and Home Minister
Nepal's Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and Home Minister Ramesh Lekh toured the crash site. They gathered details about the accident and issued essential directives.
Prime Minister Oli expressed deep sorrow over the tragic fatalities and assured that he was on-site to seek information from Civil Aviation Authority officials on the accident's causes. He urged everyone to remain patient during this difficult time.
'Plane Took a Wrong Turn...'
Chief of Tribhuvan International Airport, Jagannath Niraula, noted that the plane headed towards Pokhara from Kathmandu made an incorrect turn. According to BBC News Nepali, Niraula highlighted that the aircraft should have turned left but veered right instead.
The actual cause of the crash remains unidentified, though it happened within a minute of takeoff.
Forming an Investigation Committee
The Cabinet meeting held at Singhdurbar decided to form a five-member investigation committee led by former Director-General of Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority, Ratish Chandra Lal Suman. This committee includes Captain Deepu Jwarchan from Nepal Airlines, Engineer Sanjay Adhikari from Shree Airlines, Assistant Professor Sudip Bhattarai from Pulchowk Engineering Campus, and Technical Officer Mukesh Dangol from the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. The committee has 45 days to submit its report.
Airport officials mentioned that after the crash, services at Kathmandu Airport were temporarily halted but soon resumed.
Hundreds Perished in Air Accidents Since 1955
Nepal's air safety has faced scrutiny over poor records in recent years, attributable partly to unpredictable weather changes and human errors, coupled with risky airstrips in challenging terrains. Since the first recorded accident in August 1955, 914 individuals have perished in the country's aviation accidents, according to Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority.
In January last year, a crash involving Yeti Airlines in Pokhara resort town claimed all 72 lives onboard, including five Indians, an incident attributed to human error.
On January 15, 2023, Yeti Airlines' 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft succumbed to an accident near Seti River between the old and new airport during landing, marking Nepal's 104th aviation mishap and one of the deadliest.
In July and September of 1992, two major accidents occurred involving Thai Airways and Pakistan International Airlines, claiming 113 and 167 lives, respectively.
On May 29, 2022, a Tara Air flight met with disaster in Nepal's mountainous Mustung district. All 22 onboard, including a four-member Indian family, tragically died.
In 2016, another aircraft with the same airline crashed soon after takeoff along the same route, killing all 23 passengers.
The US-Bangla Air crash at Tribhuvan International Airport in March 2018 resulted in 51 fatalities.
