Tara Air provides services to many remote destinations across Nepal. Photo credit: taraair.com

Gulf Today Report

A Tara Air airplane carrying 22 people crashed in the rugged Lete hills on Sunday.

Local media confirmed that there were four Indians from Mumbai in the aircraft.

The plane was on its way from Nepal’s Pokhara to Jomsom in Mustang district adjoining Tibet.

Nepal aviation authorities said that the twin otter plane was carrying two Germans and 13 Nepalis along with four Indians and three crewmembers.

The air traffic controller last heard from the pilot when the plane was near Lete Pass.

The small airplane was flying on a popular tourist route, an official said.

The plane, which was on a 15-minute scheduled flight to the mountain town of Jomsom, lost contact with the airport tower shortly after takeoff.

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Police official are yet to reach the crash site.

"A domestic flight bound to Jomsom from Pokhara has lost contact," Sudarshan Bartaula, spokesman for Tara Air, earlier told the media. He said there were 19 passengers on board and three crew members.

It has been raining in the area for the past few days but flights have been operating normally. Planes on that route fly between mountains before landing in a valley.

It is a popular route with foreign hikers who trek on the mountain trails and also with Indian and Nepalese pilgrims who visit the revered Muktinath temple.