Plane crash in Nepal kills 18, pilot is sole survivor

Eighteen people were killed when a small plane skidded off the runway and crashed during takeoff in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Wednesday, government officials said.

The pilot of the Saurya Airlines plane was “seriously injured” and taken to hospital. He is the only known survivor of the crash, officials said.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, the plane took off from Kathmandu Airport at around 11:11 local time, bound for Pokhara. Shortly after takeoff, “the aircraft veered to the right and crashed on the eastern side of the runway.”

The aviation authority said rescue operations were immediately carried out and that 18 people were found dead after the fire was brought under control.

The plane was en route to Pokhara for maintenance, police said on social media, and all 19 passengers were airline employees. Eighteen of the passengers on board were Nepalese citizens, while one engineer was from Yemen, Reuters reported.

“The plane was due to undergo maintenance for a month, starting on Thursday… It is unclear why it crashed,” Mukesh Khanal, marketing head of Saurya Airlines, said, according to Reuters.

Plane crash in Nepal in 2023: At least 4 US residents among 72 dead in Nepal plane crash

Last year, 72 people died in a plane crash in Nepal

In January 2023, 72 people were killed in a plane crash in Nepal, including at least two U.S. citizens and two permanent residents.

All 68 passengers and a crew of four were killed when Yeti Airlines Flight 691 crashed minutes before landing.

The ATR 72-500 aircraft was completing a 27-minute flight from Kathmandu. It crashed around 10:50 a.m. local time while approaching Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport, the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority said.

“The incident was tragic,” Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said at the time. “The full force of the Nepalese Army Police has been deployed for the rescue.”

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at [email protected].