Buddha Air plane skids off runway, 55 passengers narrowly escape

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu) - A Buddha Air passenger plane from Kathmandu skidded off the runway during landing at Bhadrapur Airport in Nepal's Jhapa district. The 51 passengers and four crew members on board were safely evacuated, although some passengers reported minor injuries.

Immediately after the incident, chaos erupted at the airport, and flight operations were briefly disrupted. The accident has once again raised questions about aviation safety in Nepal.

A statement issued by Buddha Air stated that it is fully cooperating with the Civil Aviation Authority

of Nepal (CAN) for a detailed investigation into the incident. According to CAN, the aircraft approached the runway at a greater angle than expected during landing, causing it to lose balance and veer off the runway. The preliminary investigation is examining the role of technical factors, the pilot's assessment, and weather conditions.

Runway standards also under scrutiny.

According to officials, the Bhadrapur Airport runway meets the minimum standards for ATR-class aircraft. However, following the incident, the effective runway length was temporarily reduced for safety reasons, and the airport resumed operations after the necessary inspections.

Aviation expert Kumar Chalise said that if the aircraft's main structure or landing gear were damaged, it would be classified as a serious accident under international aviation standards. The Civil Aviation Authority has indicated it will conduct an internal investigation as well as an independent investigation committee

. Responsibility will be determined only after a final report on the cause of the accident is released, but this incident has once again highlighted the need to review air safety standards.