Kathmandu, Nepal - July 24, 2024

A witness recalled the harrowing sight of a plane crash at the Nepali capital Kathmandu on Wednesday, an incident that left 18 dead and one injured.

The domestic plane belonging to Nepal's Saurya Airlines crashed at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu at 11:15 local time, a few minutes after it took off from the airport. It had 19 people on board.

Raj Kumar KC, who runs a store near the airport, said he heard an explosion and saw the plane nosediving into the ground.

The plane, a Bombardier CRJ200, was in good condition before departure and was on its way for regular maintenance checks in Pokhara, according to Nepali civil aviation authorities.

The captain of the plane, the only survivor of the crash, is being treated in hospital,

A foreign national was aboard the flight, according to passenger information unveiled by the airline.

After the accident, Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli visited the crash site.

The government has announced that it will set up a committee to investigate the incident.

Shotlist:
Kathmandu, Nepal - July 24, 2024:
1. Helicopter flying over plane crash site;
2. Various of plane wreckage, crew working at crash site;
3. SOUNDBITE (Nepali) Raj Kumar KC, witness:
"I was sitting in my store chatting with someone when I heard a loud noise. We didn't know what it was, so we ran out to see. We saw the plane fall into the open field by the side of the runway. And the plane was on fire, taxiing in flames for a while.";
4. Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli at airport, stopping for press, getting in car;
5. SOUNDBITE (Nepali) Badri Pandey, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation of Nepal:
"In technical terms, the plane was going for a 'C check'(complete check). According to Saurya Airlines's regulatory requirements, the plane was going to Pokhara for a C check, so technicians were on board to inspect the plane. The plane has 50 hours of flight capability left [from the minimum hours required for a C check], so it was not in a dangerous condition, or about to break down, or unfit for flying. The technicians were on board.”;
6. Planes on tarmac at Tribhuvan International Airport;
7. Various of Tribhuvan International Airport, traffic, pedestrians.

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