International media reports confirm that at least 18 people died when a Saurya Airlines plane crash during takeoff at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport on Wednesday.

The flight, heading to Pokhara, had 19 people on board and crashed at 11am local time. The pilot has been hospitalized with severe injuries.

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The aircraft caught fire and emitted a large plume of smoke, which has since been extinguished. The identities of the passengers are still unknown. Saurya Airlines operates Bombardier CRJ 200 jets.

This incident follows another deadly plane crash in January 2023 involving a Yeti Airlines flight near Pokhara, which resulted in 72 deaths.