Kathmandu, July 24: Eighteen people have died after a Saurya Airlines flight skidded off the runway during takeoff from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport on Wednesday morning. The aircraft, carrying two crew members and 17 technicians bound for Pokhara for maintenance checks, experienced the incident, confirmed Airport Security Chief Arjun Chand Thakuri.
Pilot Manish Shankya, who sustained a head injury, was promptly rescued and is currently receiving medical treatment at a nearby hospital. The Nepal army is leading ongoing rescue operations. Emergency responders swiftly extinguished a fire that erupted upon impact, according to sources.