Eighteen people were killed when a plane crashed during take-off in Nepal's capital Kathmandu on Wednesday morning, officials said.
The Saurya Airlines flight was heading to Pokhara on a test flight with a crew of two and 17 members of the airline's technical staff on board, including a Yemeni.
The plane went off the runway of Tribhuvan International Airport at 11.11am, before catching fire and plunging into a gorge, Subhash Jha, director of the airport operations department, told The National.
Only the pilot, Capt Manish Shakya, 37, survived.
“Eighteen people, including the crew, have died in the crash but the captain has survived,” Tej Bahadur Poudyal, the airport's information officer, told The National.
“He is stable and is undergoing treatment at Kathmandu Medical College.”
A doctor told local media that the pilot had suffered eye injuries and was not in a serious condition.
Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal's main airport for international and domestic flights, was closed after the crash.
Video posted on social media showed the plane rising above the runway and then banking to its right before crashing into the ground and exploding in a ball of fire.
Emergency workers including police and firefighters tried to put out the flames as thick black smoke billowed from the crash site.
The charred remains of the plane lay scattered across green fields as the bodies of the victims were carried on stretchers to ambulances.
Mr Jha said all the bodies were recovered and sent for postmortem examination.
“The deceased are all technical staff of the airlines. They were flying to Pokhara for regular maintenance work. The families have been informed and the airline will look after the compensation and other requirements,” he said.
“The reasons for the crash are not yet known, only an investigation can tell the cause but the weather was conducive this morning,” he said.
Poor aviation safety record
Nepal has a poor aviation record and has suffered a spate of flight disasters in recent years.
There have been 27 deadly plane crashes in the country over the past three decades killing more than 600 people, according to the Aviation Safety database.
In December, the EU extended a decade-long ban on Nepali airlines in its airspace, saying they did not meet international aviation safety standards.
In January last year, 72 people were killed when a Yeti Airlines flight crashed near the city of Pokhara.
The plane plunged into a 300-metre gorge shortly before it was due to land. It was the country's deadliest plane crash since 1992, when 167 people were killed on a Pakistan Airlines flight which crash-landed in Kathmandu.
In 2018, 51 people died during a crash-landing at Tribhuvan International Airport.
Nepal, a country of about 30 million people, sits in the Himalayas and is home to eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains including Mount Everest, Kanchenjunga and Annapurna.
While it attracts vast numbers of tourists for trekking and mountaineering, its airports are small and of poor standards. There is also poor maintenance of equipment and lax enforcement of regulations.
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BMW M5 specs
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• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
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• For more information visit the library network's website.
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UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
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But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
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65
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- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
