A Saurya Airlines CRJ-200ER regional jet crashed shortly after takeoff from Kathmandu International Airport in Nepal on Wednesday.

Shortly after leaving the ground, the aircraft spun to the right and then crashed approximately 200 meters from the runway. According to initial reports, 18 people died and apparently only the jet’s commander survived.

Videos shared on social media show the aircraft with its right wing lowered before losing control and hurtling toward the ground.

Saurya Airlines CRJ-200 9N-AME registration (Saurya)
Saurya Airlines CRJ-200 9N-AME registration (Saurya)

Preliminar information states that the CRJ-200 was flying to the new Pokhara airport and that the occupants were company employees.

Saurya Airlines had two active CRJ-200s after retiring a third aircraft in 2014.

The crashed CRJ-200 had registration 9N-AME and had been in service with Saurya since 2017.

The Bombardier-made jet had originally been delivered to Atlantic Coast Airlines, a US regional airline, in 2003, and was flown by several other airlines before being incorporated into Saurya.