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At least 39 killed after passenger jet catches fire after landing

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At least 39 killed as passenger jet bursts into flames after landing in Nepal

PlaySaroj Banet

WATCH Jet at Kathmandu airport catches fire after landing

    A passenger jet attempting to land at Kathmandu International Airport in Nepal skidded off a runway, crashed and burst into flames, killing at least 39 people, the airport's general manager told ABC News.

    Of the 71 people on board, at least 27 people survived. All sustained injuries, some critical, the general manager, Raj Chettri, said.

    PHOTO: Authorities have rescued at least 17 passengers on a flight that landed in Nepal, skipped off the runway and burst into flames, March 12, 2018.Saroj Banet
    Authorities have rescued at least 17 passengers on a flight that landed in Nepal, skipped off the runway and burst into flames, March 12, 2018.

    US-Bangla Airlines flight 211 was en route from Dhaka, Bangladesh, and arrived around 2:20 p.m. local time. The Canadian-made Bombardier, a Dash 8 Q400 that seats 78 people, made an "unbalanced" landing, according to Chettri.

    It took around 25 minutes to extinguish a fire that engulfed the plane, Sanjiv Gaudam, the director general of Nepal's civil aviation agency, told ABC News.

    PHOTO: Wreckage of an airplane is pictured as rescue workers operate at Kathmandu airport, Nepal, March 12, 2018.Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters
    Wreckage of an airplane is pictured as rescue workers operate at Kathmandu airport, Nepal, March 12, 2018.

    The cause of the crash is unclear. The pilot was advised to land from the more typical southern approach but chose to land on the northern side of the airport, according to Gaudam and Chettri.

    The plane was carrying 67 passengers and four crew members. Those on board included 33 Nepalese, 32 Bangladeshi, one person from China, and one person from the Maldives, Chettri said.

    PHOTO: Authorities have rescued at least 17 passengers on a flight that landed in Nepal, skipped off the runway and burst into flames, March 12, 2018.Saroj Banet
    Authorities have rescued at least 17 passengers on a flight that landed in Nepal, skipped off the runway and burst into flames, March 12, 2018.

    Hundreds of rescue workers searched the plane's wreckage as the airport remained closed.

    Those injured were evacuated to hospitals by ambulance and helicopter, according to Chettri. Eight of the 27 pulled from the wreckage alive subsequently died, he said.

    PHOTO: Wreckage of an airplane is pictured as rescue workers operate at Kathmandu airport, Nepal, March 12, 2018.Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters
    Wreckage of an airplane is pictured as rescue workers operate at Kathmandu airport, Nepal, March 12, 2018.

    This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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    Source – abcnews.go.com

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