A plane crashed in Nepal immediately after takeoff. The pilot is the only survivor
A plane crashed on Wednesday immediately after it took off from the capital of Nepal. 18 people died, and the pilot, the only survivor, was injured, AP writes.
Authorities said all 18 bodies had been recovered. The pilot has eye injuries, but his life is not in danger, said a doctor at Kathmandu Medical College Hospital, where the pilot is being treated.
A press statement issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said the domestic Saurya Airlines plane, which was bound for the resort city of Pokhara, took off at 11:11 local time from Kathmandu airport and turned right, but it crashed moments later in the eastern section of the airport.
It is monsoon season in Kathmandu, but it was not raining at the time of the crash. However, visibility was low in the capital. Kathmandu Airport, the main airport serving Nepal, is located in a valley surrounded by mountains on most sides. It is considered a difficult airport for pilots and larger planes have to go through an opening in the mountain to land. It is right next to the city and is surrounded by houses and neighborhoods.
The bodies were taken to the university hospital T.U. from Kathmandu for autopsy. The airline manifest shows that there were two pilots and 17 passengers on board. The crew and 16 passengers were Nepali nationals and one passenger was identified as a Yemeni national.
