At least 18 people were killed when a small plane crashed and caught fire while taking off from Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, on Wednesday, July 24, officials reported.

The plane was carrying two crew members and 17 technicians to Pokhara city to repair another aircraft, according to officials.

"Only the captain was rescued alive and is receiving treatment at a hospital," said Tej Bahadur Poudyal, the spokesman for Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport.

Television visuals showed firefighters attempting to extinguish the blaze, with thick black smoke rising into the sky.

The footage also showed the plane flying slightly above the runway before tilting and crashing.

Other visuals depicted rescue workers searching through the charred remains of the plane in lush green fields.

Bodies were seen being carried to ambulances on stretchers as local residents looked on, according to television reports.

Officials identified the plane as a Bombardier BBDb.TO, and media reported that it belonged to local carrier Saurya Airlines. The airport was temporarily closed, the officials added.

Saurya Airlines operates domestic flights in Nepal with two Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jets, both approximately 20 years old, according to Flight Radar 24.

Nepal has faced criticism for its poor air safety record, with nearly 350 people having died in plane or helicopter crashes in the Himalayan country since 2000.

The deadliest incident occurred in 1992 when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus crashed into a hillside while approaching Kathmandu, killing 167 people.

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