Fact Check: Old video falsely passed off as recent plane crash in Nepal

A plane operated by Saurya Airlines crashed at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, on July 24. During takeoff, the aircraft slipped off the runway and caught fire, resulting in the deaths of at least 18 people. The pilot survived with injuries.

Against this backdrop, a video reportedly depicting the recent plane crash is making the rounds on social media. The video also shows a man recording the crash from a terrace with several plant pots.

Sharing the video, an X user wrote, “Plane crashes during takeoff in Nepal, killing at least 18.” (Archive)

Another X user shared the video with the caption, “#WATCH: Netizens captured the moment of a Plane crashed during takeoff at Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal.” (Archive)

Fact Check

NewsMeter found the claim misleading, as the video shows an earlier plane crash in Nepal in 2023.

Upon conducting a reverse image search of the video’s keyframes, we found it was posted by the official X handle of News 18 on January 15, 2023. The channel reported that a 72-seater passenger aircraft had crashed on the runway at Pokhara International Airport in Nepal, resulting in the deaths of all passengers, including four Indians.

We also found the video of the plane crash published by ABC News on its YouTube channel on January 16, 2023, titled “Yeti Airlines passenger plane crashes in Nepal.”

The channel also mentioned that the plane was flying from the capital of Kathmandu to Pokhara, a city in central Nepal.

Hindustan Times and The Indian Express, in their articles published on January 15, 2023, reported the Yeti Airlines crash in Pokhara, Nepal, which carried 72 passengers. Both newspapers described it as one of the worst aviation tragedies in the Himalayan nation.

Hence, we conclude that the claim is misleading as the video shows a plane crash in Nepal’s Pokhara in 2023.