A plane has horrifically crashed at an airport in Nepal after skidding off the runway during takeoff and bursting into flames, killing all but one onboard.
Officials have announced that the 18 passengers who were on the Saurya Airlines plane sadly died following the incident at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Wednesday (24 July) morning.
The plane - which was headed from the capital to the popular tourist hotspot Pokhara - is said to have attempted to take off at around 11.15am local time (05:30 GMT).
But the aircraft ran into trouble and suddenly veered off of the runway before erupted into flames.
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According to reports, the pilot of the plane is the sole survivor of the tragedy.
The spokesperson for Tribhuvan Airport, Tej Bahadur Poudyal, said: "Only the captain was rescued alive and is receiving treatment at a hospital."
The pilot was rushed to Kathmandu Medical College Hospital with eye injuries, Sky News said, although his condition is not believed to be life-threatening.
Police official Basanta Rajauri announced that authorities have retrieved the bodies of the 18 victims from the wreckage.
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The plane, which was carrying two crew members and 17 technicians, was heading the city of Pokhara for maintenance checks, according to airport security chief Arjun Chand Thakuri.
He told local media that the aircraft had 'caught fire' after it left the runway, while news broadcasts showed how firefighters battled to control the ferocious flames coming from the wreckage.
The blaze has since been brought under control, reports say.
According to a statement released by the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority's search and rescue coordination centre, the plane 'turned right and crashed on the east side of the runway' while attempting to take off.
It continued: "It was reported that the fire was brought under control and the rescue work was started immediately.
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"The dead bodies of 18 people were collected and one injured person was rescued and taken to the hospital."
Tribhuvan Airport - which is Nepal's main travel hub for international and domestic flights - has been temporarily closed in wake of the incident.
Shocking videos circulating on social media shows locals looking on in horror as they watched thick black smoke billow into the air from the crash site.
Other unverified footage shows an aircraft flying a short distance above the runway before transforming into a fireball as it ploughed into the ground.
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The cause of the devastating crash currently remains unclear.
A Saurya Airlines official said the plane involved in the incident was a 50-seater CRJ200 aircraft.
It was supposed to head from Kathmandu to Pokhara's new airport, that opened in January 2023, which boasts aircraft maintenance hangars while a series of checks were carried out.
LADbible has contacted the airline for comment.
Topics: World News, News, Travel
Olivia Burke