(ReliableNews.org) – Nepal is a dangerous place to take a flight. The Himalayan nation has experienced dozens of plane crashes over the last decade. Another one has now claimed the lives of more than 15 people.
On Wednesday, July 24, a Saurya Airlines plane took off from the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu and crashed on the runway. The Bombardier CRJ 200 aircraft was supposed to fly to Pokhara for maintenance when the disaster occurred. Eyewitnesses said the airplane was taking off when it suddenly flipped, and its right-wing tip slammed into the ground.
The plane caught fire and slid into a gorge. Video of the accident shows the plane flying low, tilting, and then bursting into flames. Rescue workers tried to save the victims, but all 18 people on the flight, including a baby, perished. The only survivor was the pilot, who remains hospitalized in stable condition.
Most of the passengers on the flight were airline maintenance workers. Sanjiv Gautam, the former director of the Civil Aviation Authority in Nepal, said that having passengers, even employees, on a plane that needed maintenance was against the country’s aviation rules.
The airport temporarily shut down after the accident. Mukesh Khanal, a spokesperson for Saurya Airlines, told the media that everything appeared normal before the flight took off. An investigation is underway to find out what happened.
According to reports, investigators always point the blame at something when a crash occurs in Nepal. However, experts believe the real problem is that the people who are supposed to regulate the industry are the same ones making money from aviation services. That leads to the Civil Aviation Authority investigating itself when crashes take place. There have been almost 40 accidents since 2010, which have left more than 350 people dead.
The planes are so unsafe that the European Union has prohibited the country’s flights for more than a decade.
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