A shocking video has captured the exact moment a Saurya Airlines plane crashed during takeoff at Nepal's Kathmandu airport this morning. Nineteen people, including crew, were on board the Pokhara-bound flight which crashed around 11 am at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport. At least 18 are believed to have died in the crash, with the pilot being the sole survivor, according to local media reports.
A video shows the Saurya Airlines plane crashing in a burst of flames soon after take-off. Clouds of grey smoke billowed from the aircraft after the crash.
The pilot of the plane was reportedly the sole survivor of the crash. He was taken to Kathmandu Medical College Hospital for treatment, reported AFP. He suffered injuries to his eyes but is now out of danger.
The 50-seater aircraft was carrying 17 crew members and two passengers.
{{/usCountry}}The 50-seater aircraft was carrying 17 crew members and two passengers.
{{/usCountry}}"Eighteen bodies have been recovered, including one foreigner," police spokesman Dan Bahadur Karki told AFP. "We are in the process of taking them for post-mortem."
Tribhuvan International Airport, the main airport of Nepal, has been shut down while authorities investigate the reasons for the crash.
Nepal has been criticised for a poor air safety record, and nearly 350 people have died in plane or helicopter crashes in the Himalayan country since 2000, reports Reuters.