Pilot Survives Plane Explosion, 18 Others Dead – One America News Network
OAN Staff Abril Elfi
12:45 PM – Wednesday, July 24, 2024
An aircraft in Nepal has exploded, killing 18 people and leaving only one survivor.
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“Only the captain was rescued alive and is receiving treatment at a hospital,” said Tej Bahadur Poudyal, a spokesperson for Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport.
On Wednesday, a Saurya Airlines plane was taking off from the capital, Kathmandu, when it slid off the runway, crashed, and caught flames, causing an explosion soon after.
“Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft veered off to the right and crashed on the east side of the runway,” the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said in a statement.
The incident left 18 people dead, and the pilot was taken to the hospital for treatment.
“It is unclear why it crashed,” said Saurya Airlines marketing head Mukesh Khanal, according to Reuters.
Videos shared on social media platforms show firefighters combating the flames as a plume of thick black smoke billowed into the sky. Additionally, less than an hour after, first responders conducted a search and rescue operation following the incident.
The deadly blaze and explosion prompted the Kathmandu airport to close temporarily. However, the facility was able to reopen within hours.
K.P. Sharma Oli, the prime minister of Nepal, visited the crash site and made the vague request to “be patient” in a social media post.
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