A plane crashed during takeoff in Nepal's capital Kathmandu on Wednesday morning with 19 people aboard.
According to the Kathmandu Post newspaper, the Saurya Airlines plane crashed at around 11:00 am (0515 GMT) with police and firefighters engaged in rescue efforts.
"Nineteen people, including aircrew, were aboard," the paper reported, quoting airport spokesperson Premnath Thakur, AFP reports.News portal Khabarhub reported that the airplane had caught fire and was "releasing a significant plume of smoke".
The flight was en route to Pokhara, an important tourism hub in the Himalayan republic.
The European Union has banned all Nepali carriers from its airspace over safety concerns.
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