An aircraft with 19 people on board, including crew, crashed during takeoff in Nepal, according to media reports.
The plane, belonging to Saurya Airlines, crashed at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) on Wednesday, Nepalese officials said.
According to preliminary information, five bodies were recovered from the accident site, the Kathmandu Post newspaper reported.
The plane skidded off the runway and crashed during takeoff, an airport spokesman said.
The aircraft was destined for Pokhara, Nepal, however, there was initially no official confirmation of this.
Security teams and firefighters worked to extinguish the flames and rescue passengers.
“Some dead bodies were recovered, while some injured were taken to hospital,” the airport spokesperson said. “It is still unclear how the accident happened.”
A large cloud of smoke could be seen in photos in the distance. No additional information was initially available.
