An aircraft with 19 people on board, including crew members, has crashed on take-off in Nepal, according to media reports.<\/p>\n
The plane, belonging to Saurya Airlines, crashed at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu on Wednesday, Nepali officials said.<\/p>\n
According to preliminary information, five bodies have been recovered at the scene of the accident, the newspaper Kathmandu Post reported.<\/p>\n
The plane skidded off the runway and crashed as it was taking off, an airport spokesman said.<\/p>\n
The aircraft was reportedly bound for Pokhara in Nepal, however, there was initially no official confirmation of this.<\/p>\n
Security personnel and firefighters were working to extinguish the flames and rescue the passengers.<\/p>\n
“Some dead bodies have been recovered, while a few injured have been taken to the hospital,” the airport spokesman said. “It is still unclear how the accident happened.”<\/p>\n
A large cloud of smoke could be seen in photos from a distance. No further information was initially available.<\/p>\n