KATHMANDU, July 24: Authorities have confirmed the death of 18 of the 19 people on board the Saurya Airlines plane that crashed at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu on Wednesday morning.

According to reports from the TIA, the plane crashed near the TIA during takeoff.

The plane was en route to Pokhara, with 19 people (all airline staff) on board. This flight was a test run, so no regular passengers were present; the occupants included company employees and engineers.

Following the mishap, the plane caught fire, sending up a large plume of smoke.

Firefighters and security personnel were quickly dispatched to control the blaze.

The aircraft, identified as a Bombardier CRJ-200 with a seating capacity of 50, was built 21 years and 4 months ago.

This model, manufactured by the Canadian company Bombardier in April 2003, was the sixth of its kind purchased for use in Nepal, according to information from planesspotters.com.

According to SSP Dinesh Raj Mainali, spokesperson for the Kathmandu Valley Police Office in Ranipokhari, 37-year-old Captain Manish Shakya was rescued and transported to KMC Hospital. Shakya is reported to have sustained an eye injury.