Warning: This article contains graphic images and video which some readers may find distressing.
Disturbing footage has surfaced showing the plane crash in Nepal that resulted in the deaths of 18 individuals.
On July 24, a Saurya Airlines flight tragically ended in a fiery explosion, claiming the lives of all passengers except the pilot.
The plane had only been airborne for a few moments before disaster struck, causing it to crash as it accelerated to a catastrophic speed.
The video captures the aircraft tilting to the right during its descent. Moments later, its right wing strikes the ground, triggering a massive ball of fire.
The plane’s body then smashes onto the runway, engulfed in flames, as thick black smoke billows, obscuring the aircraft from sight.
The tragic sequence unfolded in under 10 seconds.
The crash occurred shortly after the plane attempted to take off from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu at around 11.11 am local time.
The flight was headed to Pokhara and carried 18 Nepali passengers along with a Yemeni citizen.
Among the passengers were two crew members and 17 technicians, all employees of Saurya Airlines, the operator of the flight.
Captain Manish Ratna Shakya, the surviving pilot, was rescued just five minutes after the incident.
Discussing Shakya’s survival, Nepal’s civil aviation minister Badri Pandey stated: “It [the aircraft] hit the container on the edge of the airport.”
“Then, it fell further below.”
“The cockpit, however, remained stuck inside the container.”
“This is how the captain survived.”
Government reports indicate that there have been 40 plane crashes in the region since 2010, averaging nearly three per year, and it’s only mid-2024.
These crashes have resulted in over 350 fatalities.
However, The New York Times reports that the issue remains unaddressed, even as the European Union has banned the country’s airlines from flying to its member states.
The publication highlighted a conflict of interest, noting that those who provide aviation services are the same individuals who regulate them.
This is a significant concern for Nepal, a country that relies heavily on tourism. Over one million tourists visited last year, with around 45,000 thrill-seekers aiming to scale Mount Everest annually.