On Wednesday morning, 9th of Shrawan, 2081, at around 11:11 AM, a sudden loud noise echoed at Tribhuvan International Airport. Shortly after, smoke and flames were seen rising from the eastern edge of the airport. The ground shook with the sound.
Ram Kumar KC, a witness to the Saurya Airlines crash, shared his experience. KC, a resident of Baneshwar, was chatting with friends at his shop. “Suddenly, there was a loud noise, and when I looked outside, I saw smoke and flames,” he said. “We were scared and ran out of the shop. Everyone was terrified, our hands and feet were trembling, and we couldn’t speak. After a while, I managed to gather myself and went closer, where I saw the injured people crying for help. The scene was extremely distressing.”
KC’s shop is near the Pepsi Cola Khahare area close to the airport, where he has been operating a motor parts and repair shop for the past six years. He said, “The plane hit a container and bushes near the runway. If it had crashed into the residential area, many lives would have been lost.”
Firefighters arrived at the crash site within five minutes, but the fire had already caused significant damage by then. KC said, “The smoke and flames covered everything. Only after the firefighters arrived did the rescue operation start.”
Sunil Sahi, who has been operating the Thanapati Workshop nearby for the past one and a half years, said, “It felt like an earthquake when the plane crashed. When I looked outside, I saw flames and smoke, and we ran out of the shop.”
Santosh Khadka, a resident of Sindhupalchok, said, “I was painting a car when I saw the smoke and flames. Fear made my body shake, and I saw some people writhing in pain nearby.”
Suraj Paswan from Saptari, who was washing his hands and feet at a nearby tap when the crash happened, said, “Suddenly, there was smoke and flames. I saw one pilot waving his hand, but others were burned beyond recognition.”
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, the Saurya Airlines CRJ 700 (9N-AME) aircraft was on a flight to Pokhara when it crashed at 11:11 AM local time. There were 19 people on board, including the crew, of which 18 lost their lives, and one pilot was injured. The injured pilot is receiving treatment at KMC Hospital in Sinamangal.
This horrific crash has raised various suspicions. Different theories about the crash are circulating in the media and on social media. Gyandendra Bhul, a spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, said that the cause of the crash is technical and cannot be speculated at this time.
To ascertain the facts and submit a report, the government has formed a five-member investigation committee.
