The flight reportedly crashed as it took off from Tribhuvan International Airport, in the capital Kathmandu, at around 11 a.m. local time on Wednesday.
18 people are said to have died in the crash and a lone survivor is being treated in hospital, according to police in Nepal.
– The pilot has been taken to hospital, says a spokesperson at the airport to the Kathmandu Post.
According to the police, all on board were Nepalese nationals, except one who is said to be from Yemen.
On the way to service
The Nepalese police later state on X that all of the people on board the plane were employees of the airline Solar Airlines. The plane was on its way to Pokhara airport for maintenance work.
The plane was about to take off when it overturned and one wing hit the ground, then caught fire and plunged into a ravine on the side of the runway, according to eyewitnesses the Kathmandu Post spoke to.
Nepal, which is located on the southern slopes of the Himalayas, has a history marked by several serious air accidents.
Last year, the worst air accident in over 30 years occurred when a plane with 72 people on board crashed near Pokhara. At least 68 people died then.
