A plane operated by Bangladeshi airline US-Bangla has crashed at Kathmandu airport killing at least 40 of the 71 passengers and crew, news organisations are reporting.
Flight BS211 from the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka veered off the runway when landing on Monday afternoon, before bursting into flames. The plane is believed to be a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop, and once on the ground rescuers began pulling charred bodies from the plane as well as the 23 reported survivors.
Sanjiv Gautam, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, was quoted in the Kathmandu Post as saying: “The aircraft was permitted to land from the southern side of the runway flying over Koteshwor, but it landed from the northern side. We are yet to ascertain the reason behind the unusual landing.”
More updates to follow…