New Delhi. 18 people lost their lives in a horrific plane crash on Wednesday at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. There were 19 people on board the plane going to Pokhara and the plane crashed within a minute of take off. The pilot of the plane was saved in this accident. A picture of the rescue of the only survivor pilot has surfaced in which the rescue team is seen taking him out of the crash spot. 37-year-old pilot Captain Manish Ratna Shakya is seen soaked in blood. The picture shows that the rescue team is taking him out of the ditch to a height. The pilot’s face is stained with blood and his uniform is also soaked in blood. Pilot Shakya’s life was saved in the accident but his co-pilot Sushant Katwal and the rest could not be saved. Pilot Shakya was taken out of the wreckage of the plane and taken to the hospital for treatment. A doctor at the hospital said that the pilot’s eye was injured but he is out of danger.
The Saurya Airlines plane Bombardier CRJ-200ER took off from runway 2 at 11:11 am. Within a minute of takeoff, the plane fell into a ditch on the east side of runway 20. Eyewitnesses told local media that the plane was taking off from the southern end of the runway. Immediately after takeoff, the plane turned over and after a jolt, it hit the ground. In less than a blink of an eye, the plane caught fire and fell into the ditch. After the accident, the Tribhuvan Airport was filled with black smoke. All 19 people on board the plane were Saurya Airlines staff who were taking the plane for repair.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said in a press release that the plane was being flown and checked under the annual maintenance program. According to the authority, the plane turned in the wrong direction and crashed. The plane was supposed to turn left immediately after take-off but it turned right and fell into a ditch after crashing. According to the official website of Saurya Airlines, the captain of the plane, Manish Ratna Shakya, is the pilot of the plane as well as the chief of operations in the airlines. According to his LinkedIn profile, he has been working with the airlines for more than 9 years. Earlier, he worked with Simrik Airlines for three years. He completed his studies from St. Xavier’s School.
