KATHMANDU – At least 18 people were killed after a Saurya Airlines aircraft crashed during takeoff at Kathmandu airport on Wednesday, international media reported.
The incident took place at the Tribhuvan International Airport where the Pokhara-bound flight with 19 people on board met the accident at 11am local time.
The pilot of the crashed plane has been shifted to a hospital with serious injuries.
News portal Khabarhub reported that the Saurya Airlines airplane had caught fire and was “releasing a significant plume of smoke”.
An official said that a fire which erupted from the aircraft has been doused, adding that the identity of the passengers is yet to be known.
Saurya Airlines exclusively flies Bombardier CRJ 200 jets, according to its website.
In January 2023, a Yeti Airlines flight crashed near the central city of Pokhara. All 72 people on board, including passengers and crew members, were killed in the incident.
