In an astonishing turn of events, a pilot survived a tragic plane crash in Nepal that claimed the lives of all 18 passengers onboard. Captain Manish Ratna Sakya miraculously escaped with his life when the cockpit detached from the main body of the aircraft just seconds before the rest of the plane crashed and caught fire at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The lone survivor, Captain Sakya, is currently receiving treatment at a hospital and, according to the latest reports from BBC Nepal, he is now able to communicate with his family, assuring them that “he is fine.”
Rescue teams found the pilot in a distressed state amidst the burning wreckage, near the cockpit that had separated from the aircraft. “He was having difficulty breathing. We broke the window and pulled him out immediately,” said Senior Superintendent of Police Dunbar Bishwakarma. “His face was covered in blood when he was rescued, but he was able to speak when we transported him to the hospital.”
Bhadri Pandey, Nepal’s Minister of Civil Aviation, stated that the plane suddenly veered right during takeoff from the airport, crashing onto the left side of the runway.
The Nepalese Army reported that the pilot was rescued within five minutes of the crash. “He was in a terrible condition but still conscious,” the army’s statement read, adding that he was then transported to the hospital in an army ambulance.
Dr. Meena Thapa, the hospital’s medical director, disclosed that the pilot suffered head and facial injuries and would soon undergo surgery for a fractured back. “We are treating multiple injuries across his body, and he is currently under observation in the neurosurgery department,” she added.
On Wednesday evening (July 24), Nepal’s Prime Minister K.P. Sharma visited the hospital to meet the pilot’s family.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident, with initial assessments indicating that the plane went in the wrong direction. “Immediately after takeoff, it turned right instead of left,” said the director of Tribhuvan International Airport.
Nepal has been criticized for its poor air safety record. In January 2023, at least 72 people died in a crash involving a Yeti Airlines flight, later found to be caused by an inadvertent deactivation of the aircraft’s electrical system by the pilots.
The country’s worst aviation disaster occurred in 1992 when a Pakistan International Airlines flight crashed while approaching Kathmandu airport, killing all passengers and crew onboard.
Earlier report: https://www.pattayamail.com/thailandnews/saurya-airlines-plane-crash-in-nepal-leaves-18-dead-captain-in-hospital-466669
