Plane with 22 people on board missing in Nepal
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A small plane carrying 22 people and flying on a popular tourist route in Nepal's mountains has gone missing, according to local police.
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The Twin Otter aircraft took off from the western town of Pokhara (Taraair)
A passenger plane carrying 22 people went missing in Nepal early Sunday, according to the airline.
At 9:55 am (0410 GMT), the Twin Otter aircraft took off from the western town of Pokhara, but soon lost contact with air traffic control.
"A domestic flight bound for Jomsom from Pokhara has lost contact," Sudarshan Bartaula, spokesperson for Tara Air, told AFP.
He said there were 19 passengers and three crew members on board.
Two helicopters have been deployed for a search, according to Phanindra Mani Pokharel, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs.
However, he stated that visibility was poor.
"The bad weather is likely to hamper the search operation. The visibility is so poor that nothing can be seen," Pokharel added.
It is worth mentioning that Jomsom is a popular trekking destination in the Himalayas, located about 20 minutes by plane west of Kathmandu.
