By A tragic plane crash of Saurya Airlines occurred on Wednesday 24 July, 2024 as an aircraft 9N-AME caught fire shortly after takeoff from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport. The incident claimed the lives of eighteen people, with the pilot being the sole survivor. The Saurya Airlines flight, bound for Pokhara, was carrying 17 company employees, including technical staff, and two crew members.
The Nepal Civil Aviation Authority reported that the flight crashed around 11:15 local time (05:30 GMT), mere minutes after departure. The pilot, who sustained injuries to his eyes and forehead, is currently receiving medical treatment and is not in critical condition, according to police spokesperson Dan Bahadur Karki.
Eyewitnesses described hearing a loud noise, followed by the plane’s crash and subsequent fire. Footage showed the aircraft tilting above the runway before crashing and igniting. Rescue workers quickly arrived at the scene, where they found the wreckage engulfed in flames.
Airport chief Jagannath Niraula noted that the accident occurred almost immediately after the plane left the ground, with an initial assessment indicating that the aircraft flew in the wrong direction upon takeoff. The plane turned right instead of left, leading to the disaster.
Seventeen of the deceased were Nepali nationals, while one was a Yemeni engineer, Aref Reda. The plane was scheduled for a month-long maintenance starting Thursday, but the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Following the incident, Kathmandu’s airport was temporarily closed but reopened within hours. This tragedy highlights ongoing concerns about air safety in Nepal, which has faced criticism for its poor safety record. The crash comes after a similar incident in January 2023, where a Yeti Airlines flight crashed, killing at least 72 people. Saurya Airlines, which operates a fleet of three Bombardier CRJ-200 jets, services five domestic destinations in Nepal.
