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17 bodies of plane crash victims handed over to families, process underway to send Yemeni national's body: Nepal Aviation Minister

Eighteen people died when a Saurya Airlines aircraft crashed at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on July 24

Nepal has handed over the bodies of 17 out of 18 victims of the Saurya Airlines crash to respective families, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Badri Prasad Pandey said on Sunday.

Responding to questions raised by lawmakers about aviation safety and the plane crash, Pandey informed the lower house of parliament that a process has been initiated to hand over the body of the deceased Yemeni national via the closest embassy.

"In the crash 18 people have died on the spot and the captain of the aircraft has been injured and is undergoing treatment at Kathmandu Medical College. As of now he is out of danger, as per the doctors involved in the treatment. Till now except for the Yemeni national, all the remaining bodies (17) has been received by the families and next of kin. In regards to the deceased Yemeni national, there is no embassy of Yemen in Nepal, close coordination and contact is being established through the embassy that is closest to Yemen for the handover and management of the body," Pandey said.

During the 'Urgent Time' session of the lower house of the Federal Parliament, lawmakers emphasised the need for relevant agencies to be more responsible and accountable for these incidents.

The lawmakers highlighted the urgency of addressing not only the rise in airplane and bus accidents but also the issues of road blockades caused by landslides and flooding. Many of the lawmakers stressed the necessity for the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to play a more active regulatory role in preventing air accidents. Moreover, the MPs called for a thorough investigation into the Saurya Airlines plane crash, urging the government to take necessary measures to prevent future aviation accidents.

A total of 18 people died when a Saurya Airlines aircraft crashed at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on July 24. Altogether 19 people, including two crew members, were in the Pokhara-bound flight, with registration number 9NAME, which took off from Kathmandu at 11:11 am (local time).

The TIA said, "CRJ7 (Reg-9NAME) of Sourya Airlines took off from Kathmandu at 11:11 am local time during the flight to Pokhara, turned right and crashed at a place on the east side of the runway. It is reported that the fire was brought under control and the rescue work was started immediately. The dead bodies of 18 people were recovered and 1 injured person was rescued and taken to the hospital."

The pilot of the Saurya Airline plane that crashed at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu is the lone survivor of the crash. The plane 9N-AME (CRJ 200) was only carrying technical staff of the airline, with no passengers on board. Gyanendra Bhul, an information officer at TIA, confirmed that the plane was carrying a few technical staff members.