Captain Manish Raj Shakya, the sole survivor of a plane crash in Nepal, was rescued after the cockpit of the Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft was sheared off by a freight container moments before the rest of the plane was engulfed in flames. The crash, which occurred on July 24, involved a Saurya Airlines flight carrying 19 people, including crew members, airline technical staff, and a child with his mother. The plane was en route from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu to Pokhara International Airport for maintenance when it caught fire shortly after takeoff.
The crash resulted in the deaths of 15 people on the spot, with three more succumbing to their injuries at a local hospital. According to airport security, the plane hit a freight container on the TIA premises, causing the cockpit to become lodged in the container while the rest of the aircraft fell and ignited. Captain Shakya was rescued from inside the container, and he is now being treated at Kathmandu Medical College (KMC). Despite sustaining several internal injuries and broken bones, Shakya's condition has improved, and he is reportedly out of immediate danger.
In response to the tragedy, the Nepal government has ordered national flags to be flown at half-mast. A five-member probe commission, led by Ratish Chandra Lal Suman, former Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), has been established to investigate the incident and submit a report within 45 days.
The postmortem process for the 18 deceased victims began on Wednesday evening at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), though delays have occurred due to the extent of burns on the bodies. A total of 25 doctors have been assigned to handle the postmortem procedures.
Family members of the victims have expressed concerns about potential negligence by the airline and civil aviation authorities. They allege that the flight should not have been permitted to take off despite known technical issues. Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has called for measures to prevent such incidents in the future and emphasized the need to determine whether the crash was caused by human error or technical failure.
