KATHMANDU, July 25: It has been revealed that there was serious negligence by the firefighters and the airport authorities during the rescue mission following the unfortunate accident of a Saurya Airlines aircraft on Wednesday morning. Authorities at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) failed to respond on time even when the crash site was near the airport premises and the plane had crashed within twenty seconds after takeoff.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the plane crashed at 11:11 AM on Wednesday. There is even CCTV footage showing the aircraft crashing on the eastern side of the airport. The police found out within a minute and a half after the plane crashed and immediately informed all the agencies including the CAAN, through their communication sets. However, it's a shame that the fire brigade present on the airport premises could not be deployed to the accident site on time.
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The fire brigade reached the crash site 15 minutes after the tragedy took place. It has been found that the delay happened because there was miscommunication among the officials regarding the direction the fire brigade would take to reach the crash site. It is undeniable that there has been serious negligence by the airport officials and the authorities during the rescue operation. The cause of the accident will be further assessed by the investigation committee.
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) standards, firefighters and fire engines should reach the accident site within two minutes if an aircraft crashes on the airport premises. However, on Wednesday, it took the firefighters 15 minutes to arrive at the location, and the aircraft had already perished in the flames.
The weakness of the regulation and management aspect of the CAAN and the airport authorities is evident. The authorities have miserably failed to carry out the rescue operation at the accident site. Furthermore, it took the firefighters 25 minutes to douse the fire that had been set ablaze after the plane crash. The fire was brought under control at 11:55 AM. However, the airport authorities claim that the fire was brought under control at 11:40 AM.
Colonel Ram Jyoti Bohara, the chief of the Bomb Disposal Team of the Nepal Army, and his team were deployed to the crash site within five minutes after the accident took place. His team successfully rescued the pilot Manish Shakya, the lone survivor of the accident that claimed 18 lives. The fire brigade did not reach the site until Shakya was rescued and taken to the hospital. Along with Captain Shakya, three people were also rescued at 11:30 AM and were sent to the hospital, but unfortunately, they died on the way to the hospital.
A drill was conducted at the TIA on June 29, 2024, to test the effectiveness of the Airport Emergency Plan in rescuing a plane and its passengers in case of an accident. Despite the exercise, the authorities failed miserably on Wednesday in every aspect, and it is a matter of great disappointment.
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