Nepal plane crash: 50 people killed at Kathmandu airport
Aircraft veered off the runway and ploughed into neighbouring football field before bursting into flames
A passenger plane has crashed while attempting to land at Kathmandu’s main airport, killing at least 50 people and injuring dozens more, according to officials in Nepal.
The US-Bangla Airlines flight from Dhaka “made an unexpected turn in cloudy weather as it came in to land” on Monday afternoon, Reuters reports. There were 71 people on board, including four crew members.
Aviation officials told The Kathmandu Post that the aircraft approached the runway from the wrong side, before clipping a fence, crashing into a nearby football field and bursting into flames.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“The aircraft was permitted to land from the southern side of the runway […], but it landed from the northern side,” said Sanjiv Gautam, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.
“We are yet to ascertain the reason behind the unusual landing,” he added.
A total of 22 people are being treated in hospital, with some in a critical condition, police spokesperson Manoj Neupane told the BBC’s Nepali service.
Of the passengers onboard, 33 were from Nepal, 32 were Bangladeshi, one was Chinese and one was from the Maldives.
A survivor said the plane “shook violently” followed by a loud bang. “I was seated near a window and was able to break out of the window,” Nepalese travel agent Basanta Bohora said from hospital.
“I have no recollection after I got out of the plane,” he said. “I have injuries to my head and legs, but I am fortunate that I survived.”
Nepal’s aviation safety record has come under scrutiny on several occasions, with an average of around one crash per year since 1949.
In 1992, a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok crashed while trying to land in Kathmandu, killing all 167 passengers on board.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The true story of Feud: Capote vs. The Swans
In depth The writer's fall from grace with his high-flying socialite friends in 1960s Manhattan is captured in a new Disney+ series
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
Scottie Scheffler: victory for the 'pre-eminent golfer of this era'
Why Everyone's Talking About Masters victory is Scheffler's second in three years
By The Week Staff Published
-
Crossword: April 20, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Gaza hospital blast: What the video evidence shows about who's to blame
Speed Read Nobody wants to take responsibility for the deadly explosion in the courtyard of Gaza's al-Ahli Hospital. Roll the tape.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Giraffe poo seized after woman wanted to use it to make a necklace
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Helicopter sound arouses crocodiles
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Woman sues Disney over 'injurious wedgie'
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Emotional support alligator turned away from baseball stadium
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Europe's oldest shoes found in Spanish caves
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Artworks stolen by Nazis returned to heirs of cabaret performer
It wasn't all bad Good news stories from the past seven days
By The Week Staff Published