DALLAS – A Saurya Airlines (S1) CRJ-200ER aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff at Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) in Kathmandu, Nepal. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has issued statements confirming the accident, one of the country's worst.

According to Reuters, the aircraft, with registration 9N-AME, was operating a ferry flight from KTM to Pokhara Airport (PKR) with 19 passengers and crew members on board. The aircraft took off from KTM at 11:11 am local time on July 24, 2024.

All those on board were airline employees as the aircraft was being ferried to PKR for maintenance. The airline's motto reads "You are in hood hands."

The Crash

Eyewitnesses reported that the aircraft suddenly flipped, causing the wing tip to hit the ground. This led to an immediate fire, and the aircraft then plunged into a gorge on the eastern side of the runway, between the Buddha Air hangar and the radar station.

According to CAAN, eighteen people lost their lives, while the flight captain, Mr. Shakya, was rushed to the hospital.

“Captain Manish Shakya was rescued at 11:34 and taken to KMC Hospital. He can speak. He has an eye injury,” said Kathmandu Valley Police Office SSP Dinesh Raj Mainali.

Eighteen of those on board were Nepalese whereas one of the employees was from Yemen, according to the CAAN. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, with Nepalese soldiers and rescuers on the scene.

The featured image shows 9N-AME in the Tata Tiago livery at Siddharthanagar Airport in 2017.

This is a developing story. More updates to follow.