Khatmandu (National Times) At least 18 people were killed when a small plane crashed and caught fire while it was taking off from Nepal’s capital Kathmandu on Wednesday, officials said.

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.

Nepal has been criticised for its poor air safety record, with the deadliest incident occurring in 1992, when a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Airbus crashed into a hillside while approaching Kathmandu, killing 167 people.

Most recently, at least 72 people were killed in a Yeti airlines crash in January 2023 that was later attributed to the pilots mistakenly cutting off power.