The accident occurred as the plane was about to take off from Triphuvan International Airport in Kathmandu at 11am local time. The aircraft reportedly skidded off the runway, caught fire and crashed in a field. Images show how thick smoke rises above the accident site.
On board were 19 people – two crewmen and 17 technicians who were on their way to the city of Pokhara, the airport’s security chief said according to Reuters. All but the plane’s captain have perished, according to the report Kathmandu Post.
The aircraft belongs to the Nepalese domestic airline Saurya Airlines.
Airplane accidents are not uncommon in the mountainous country of Nepal, home to many of the world’s highest peaks. Last year, 72 people died in a plane crash near Pokhara. Since the year 2000, almost 350 people have died in plane or helicopter accidents in the country.
