In a tragic incident that has as soon as once more highlighted the perilous nature of aviation in Nepal, a small aircraft belonging to the Saurya Airline carrying 19 passengers caught hearth throughout takeoff within the capital metropolis, Kathmandu, on Wednesday.
The Civil Aviation Authority reported that the 9N-AME/CRJ 200 plane operated by Sourya Air crashed at 11:11 AM on Wednesday throughout its takeoff from Tribhuvan Worldwide Airport en path to Pokhara.
Captain Manish Shakya, aged 37, was rescued and transported to KPC Hospital, as confirmed by police. Sadly, all different passengers onboard didn’t survive the crash.
Whereas instant experiences from the scene counsel that an investigation into the aircraft’s crash has been launched, this incident provides to the alarming toll of deadly air crashes within the nation, which has seen practically 360 fatalities over the past twenty years.
Because the yr 2000, there have been 19 vital air crashes in Nepal, the most recent one marking the twentieth. This additional factors out to the hazards related to flying on this mountainous nation.
Nepal’s geography presents formidable challenges for aviation, characterised by rugged terrain and unpredictable climate circumstances. Many airports serve distant areas, the place flights are essential because of the lack of highway entry.
Nonetheless, as a result of restricted investments in trendy plane and infrastructure, in addition to insufficient regulatory oversight, there have been main dangers of crashes within the nation, which has additional led to an unlucky historical past of aviation disasters. Latest high-profile accidents elevate critical questions concerning the security requirements of home airways.
Trying again on the timeline of extreme incidents, the worst air catastrophe since 1992 occurred on January 15, 2023, when a twin-engine ATR 72 operated by Yeti Airways crashed in Pokhara, ensuing within the deaths of all 72 individuals aboard.
Different tragedies embrace a helicopter crash in July 2023 that claimed six lives, together with 5 Mexican vacationers, and a Might 2022 crash that killed 22 individuals shortly after takeoff from Pokhara.
The sample of crashes over time illustrates a troubling pattern, with recurrent disasters together with a crash of a Twin Otter plane in 2014 that killed 18 and one other incident in 2016 that took the lives of 23 passengers. Between 2000-2010, over 9 main aircraft crashes befell, killing over 110 individuals.
The Nepalese aviation business faces a difficult crossroads, balancing the need of air journey with the heavy burden of guaranteeing passenger security in a panorama fraught with obstacles.
(With company inputs)
