Pilot sole survivor of Nepal plane crash that killed 18

By Aishwarya Iyer, Esha Mitra and Isaac Yee, CNN

(CNN) — At least 18 people were killed after a small plane skidded off the runway in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu on Wednesday, local officials said.

The pilot, who has been hospitalized, is the sole survivor of the Saurya Airlines crash, said Gyanendra Bhul, a spokesperson for Tribhuvan International Airport. All those on board – 18 Nepalis and a Yemeni citizen – were employees of the carrier, according to police.

Images from Nepal police showed thick smoke billowing from the burning aircraft on the the airport runway.

The aircraft crashed during takeoff from Kathmandu to the city of Pokhara around 11 a.m. local time, Bhul said. The plane was en route for technical maintenance, he added.

“Rescue efforts were started immediately and the situation was brought under control,” the aviation authority said.

The crash once again highlights the dangers of air travel in Nepal, a country often referred to as one of the riskiest places to fly due to multiple factors including its mountainous terrain.

The Himalayan country, home to eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains including Everest, has a record of air accidents. Its weather can change suddenly, and airstrips are typically sited in difficult-to-reach, mountainous areas.

Aircraft with 19 seats or fewer are more likely to have accidents due to these difficulties, according to a 2019 safety report from the Civil Aviation Authority.

While the country has made improvements in safety standards in recent years, challenges remain, and a lack of investment in aging aircraft only adds to the risks of flying.

Last year, Nepal saw its worst plane crash in more than 30 years when at least 68 people died when a Yeti Airlines flight went down near Pokhara.

In May 2022, a Tara Air flight departing from Pokhara crashed into a mountain, killing 22 people.

In early 2018, a US-Bangla Airlines flight from Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka to Kathmandu crashed on landing and caught fire, killing 51 people.

And in 2016, a Tara Air flight crashed while flying the same route as the 2023 crash.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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