Nepal: Saurya Airlines plane crash claims 18 lives

A regional passenger plane operated by Nepal’s Saurya Airlines crashed and erupted into flames during takeoff from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport on Wednesday. The catastrophe claimed the lives of 18 individuals, including 17 technicians and 2 crew members on board.

The ill-fated aircraft, a 50-seater CRJ-200 with registration 9N-AME, was en route to Nepal’s newly inaugurated Pokhara Airport for routine maintenance. The airport, which started operations in January, is equipped with state-of-the-art aircraft maintenance hangars.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, “Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft veered off to the right and crashed on the east side of the runway.” The tragic event has left Nepal in mourning, with only the captain surviving the crash, currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

Eyewitnesses and television footage painted a grim picture: firefighters battling towering flames and thick black smoke, the plane barely above the runway before tilting disastrously to the right.

Rescue workers sifted through the charred wreckage scattered across verdant fields, while bodies were respectfully transported to ambulances under the somber gaze of local residents.

Tej Bahadur Poudyal, spokesman for Tribhuvan International Airport, confirmed the nationalities of those on board, stating, “Eighteen of those on board were Nepali citizens while one engineer was from Yemen.”

The cause of the crash remains shrouded in mystery. Mukesh Khanal, Saurya Airlines’ marketing head, noted, “The plane was scheduled to undergo maintenance for a month beginning Thursday … It is unclear why it crashed.”

In the wake of the disaster, Kathmandu Airport temporarily suspended operations but resumed within hours, officials said.

Nepal’s aviation sector has long been marred by safety concerns. The nation’s challenging topography, with airports nestled in remote hills and valleys, coupled with unpredictable weather, poses significant risks. The country, home to eight of the world’s 14 highest peaks, has witnessed nearly 350 fatalities in plane or helicopter crashes since 2000.

The most devastating incident occurred in 1992 when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus crashed into a hillside while approaching Kathmandu, killing 167 people. More recently, a Yeti Airlines crash in January 2023 resulted in the deaths of at least 72 individuals, attributed to pilot error.

Saurya Airlines, established in 2014, boasts of introducing the “jet experience” on domestic routes in Nepal. The airline currently operates two CRJ-200 regional jets, a program initially owned by Canada’s Bombardier and later acquired by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in 2020.

As investigations continue, Bombardier has referred questions to Canada-based MHI RJ Aviation Group, which remains unavailable for immediate comment.

This latest tragedy underscores the critical need for enhanced safety measures in Nepal’s aviation industry.