Visuals emerged of the accident as firefighters worked to extinguish a fire and thick black smoke is rising into the sky after a plane crash near an airport.The plane was flying just above the runway before it tilted and crashed. The airport was temporarily closed.
Visuals also showed rescue workers sifting through the charred remains of the plane in green fields. Bodies were being carried to ambulances on stretchers while local residents watched.
The bodies have been sent to T.U. Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu for autopsy. According to the airline manifest, there were two pilots and 17 passengers aboard, with only one female among them. Apart from one foreigner whose nationality was not disclosed, the rest were Nepali nationals.
Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal’s main airport, has been closed as emergency crews responded to the crash. The airport serves both international and domestic flights and is situated in a valley surrounded by mountains, making it a challenging airport for pilots. Bigger planes must navigate through an opening in the mountainous terrain to land.
Though it is monsoon season in Kathmandu, there was no rain at the time of the crash. However, visibility was low across the city.