Captain Shakya, Lone Survivor of Fatal Nepal Plane Crash, Moved to General Ward From ICU

New Delhi: Captain Manish Raj Shakya, the sole survivor of a tragic plane crash in Nepal that claimed 18 lives, has been transferred from the intensive care unit (ICU) to a general ward following improvements in his health, according to a report by The Kathmandu Post on Friday.

The incident occurred on Wednesday when a Saurya Airlines Bombardier CRJ-200, en route to Pokhara, caught fire shortly after takeoff from Tribhuvan International Airport. 

The aircraft, carrying 19 people including two crew members, technical staff, and a child with his mother, was engulfed in flames. Authorities reported that 15 people died instantly, while three succumbed to their injuries at a local hospital.

Captain Shakya, 37, survived after the cockpit of the plane was severed by a freight container just before the aircraft was consumed by fire. He was initially treated in the ICU at Kathmandu Medical College (KMC) but has since been moved to a general ward as his condition has stabilized.

Professor Dr. Meena Thapa, Director of KMC, stated that Shakya is being monitored by neurology and orthopaedic specialists. He sustained injuries to his face, eyes, nose, and head, with fractures to one spinal bone and three ribs on his left side. The decision on whether surgical intervention will be necessary has yet to be made.

Despite not being burned in the fire, Shakya sustained several internal injuries. A five-member commission led by Ratish Chandra Lal Suman, former Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), has been established to investigate the crash. The commission is tasked with delivering its findings and recommendations within 45 days to improve aviation safety.

In the wake of the disaster, some family members and friends of the victims have raised concerns about whether the airline and civil aviation authorities overlooked technical issues with the aircraft. Meanwhile, Saurya Airlines has pledged to support the victims' families. Chairman Dipak Kumar Pokharel assured that the airline would provide all necessary assistance.

This crash marks the 105th plane crash in Nepal since aviation accidents began being recorded in August 1955, as reported by Nepal's civil aviation body.