Kathmandu: A plane carrying 18 people on board slipped off the runway and crashed while attempting to take off from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu in Nepal.
Rescue operation is underway as firefighters are trying to control the blaze.
The plane, which caught fire during takeoff from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, was carrying two crew members and 17 technicians to Pokhara city for maintenance checks, Airport Security Chief Arjun Chand Thakuri said.
“It (the plane) caught fire after skidding off the runway at Kathmandu airport and crashing into a field east of the runway,” Thakuri said.
Out of the 19 people on board, 18 have been killed. However, the pilot survived and is being treated at a hospital.
Television visuals showed fire fighters trying to put out the fire and thick black smoke rising into the sky, Reuters reported.
The plane belonged to local Saurya Airlines, media said.
Saurya operates domestic flights in Nepal with two Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jets, both around 20 years old, according to Flight Radar 24.
