Saurya Airlines plane with 19 onboard crashes while taking off from TIA

Setopati

Kathmandu, July 24

A Saurya Airlines plane with 19 onboard has crashed while taking off from the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) Wednesday morning.

The Bombardier plane (9N-AME/CRJ 200) that took off from Runway 02 has crashed near Runway 20 to the east at 11:15 in the morning, according to the TIA.

Pilot of the plane Captain Manish Shakya, 37, was rescued and taken to the KMC Hospital, according to Spokesperson at the Kathmandu Valley Police Office SSP Dinesh Raj Mainali.

“Captain Manish Shakya was rescued at 11:34 and taken to KMC Hospital. He can speak. He has eye injury,” SSP Mainali said adding that the fire was taken under control at 11:40.

The plane fell at the open space behind the hangar of Buddha Air while leaving for Pokhara.

All 19 including the crew members were Saurya Airlines staffers, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).

SSP Mainali has said details about those aboard are awaited and the bodies recovered from the crash site have been taken to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH).