"Heard a loud sound and then...": Witnesses recount Nepal plane crash that killed 18

 

Footage shows the wreckage of a plane that crashed with 19 people onboard, killing at least 18 of them in Kathmandu, Nepal, this morning. The Bombardier CRJ 200 operated by Saurya Airlines was travelling to Pokhara when it reportedly skidded off the runway during take-off at around 11 am local time. Videos from the scene show a large fire with smoke rising at the Tribhuvan International Airport. Firefighters doused the fire to bring it under control. A firemen at the scene said today that 18 of those onboard had died. The pilot has reportedly been taken to hospital with injuries. Airport spokesman Premnath Thakur said that those onboard included the crew and passengers, which included airline technicians. The European Union has banned carriers from Nepal from using its airspace amid safety concerns. There have been at least 12 fatal jet crashes in the Himalayan region since 2010.

Recounting the harrowing experience of witnessing the Nepal plane crash that claimed 18 lives the eyewitnesses said that if the plane wouldn't have hit the container, it would have definitely hit the residential area.

Eyewitness, Aadesh Lama, who witnessed the crash, said, "I was working here at my garage in the morning and then I heard a loud sound. We thought a tyre had burst but we came to know that a plane had crashed. It had knocked a container, if it wasn't the container then it surely would have slid down and hit the residential area. The container saved us. It struck the container and came to the ground and got engulfed by fire."

Another witness, Krishna Bahadur Thapa, detailed his initial reaction.

"I heard a loud bang, about three to four of us were here. We first assumed it to be a vehicle accident but it turned out to be an aircraft that had crashed. The plane slid down and stopped, at first there was the sound, then after the smoke billowed and then it was engulfed by fire. I rushed near to the site where the plane crashed and there again was an explosion and then I ran backwards with fear," Thapa said while speaking to ANI.

An aircraft of Saurya Airlines crashed during take-off at the Tribhuvan International Airport on Wednesday, Nepal-based daily, The Himalayan Times reported. The plane was scheduled to leave for Pokhara from Kathmandu when the accident happened.

The Tribhuvan International Airport, in an official release, said that 18 dead bodies were recovered from the site and only 1 person survived the crash.

The TIA said "CRJ7 (Reg-9NAME) of Sourya Airlines took off from Kathmandu at 11:11 am local time during the flight to Pokhara, turned right and crashed at a place on the east side of the runway. It is reported that the fire was brought under control and the rescue work was started immediately. The dead bodies of 18 people were recovered and 1 injured person was rescued and taken to the hospital."

The Pilot of the Saurya Airline plane that crashed at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu is the lone survivor of the crash.

The plane 9N-AME (CRJ 200) was only carrying technical staff of the airline, with no passengers on board. Gyanendra Bhul, information officer at TIA, confirmed that the plane was carrying a few technical staff members.

The plane crashed shortly after taking off from the runway, at around 11:00 AM today. Following the crash, smoke was seen coming from the plane. Firefighters and security personnel, including Nepal Police and the Nepali Army, were deployed to the crash site.