A plane carrying 22 people went missing in a tourist destination in Kathmandu, Nepal.
According to Reuters, AP, and AFP news, a small twin-engine 'Twin Otter' operated by the local private airline Tara Air disappeared while flying to Jomsom, 80 km northwest of Pokhara, a tourist city in Nepal.
Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft lost contact with the control tower.
According to airline officials, 19 passengers and three crew members were on board the missing plane.
Among them, six were foreigners, four were Indians and two were German, the Associated Press reported.
The flight time from Pokhara to Jomsom is about 15 minutes, and aircraft flying on this route fly through the mountains before landing in the valley.
The area is frequented by foreign hikers and Indian and Nepali pilgrims who want to visit the Muktinath Temple in Jomsom.
It had rained in the days before the accident, but flights were operating normally.
According to the Tara Air website, the airline mainly flies to the mountainous regions of Nepal and operates a total of six planes, including the missing twin-engine twin-Otter.
Nepalese authorities have dispatched two helicopters to the aircraft's flight path to conduct a search operation.
(Photo = provided by Tara Air website, Yonhap News)