At least 18 passengers, including a Yemeni national, and a child, were killed after a domestic plane with 19 people on board slipped off the runway and crashed on July 24 while trying to take off from the airport serving Nepal’s capital Kathmandu.

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A press statement issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said the Saurya Airlines domestic plane, which was scheduled to head to the resort town of Pokhara, took off at 11:11 a.m. local time from Kathmandu airport and turned right but crashed moments later in the eastern section of the airport.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Home Minister Ramesh Lekh separately visited the accident site to gather details about the incident and provide necessary directives.

Nepal’s aviation authority identified one of the passengers as a child named Adhiraj Sharma, who was the son of Manu Raj Sharma, a technician of Saurya Airlines.

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Upon colliding with the east side of the runway, the cockpit along with the pilot was ripped off from the rest of the aircraft by getting caught inside of a shipping container while the rest of the aircraft burst into flames.

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Television footage captured firefighters battling the blaze as thick black smoke billowed into the sky. Other images revealed the plane flying low above the runway before tilting right and crashing.

Rescue workers were seen examining the charred wreckage scattered across green fields and transporting bodies on stretchers to ambulances. Kathmandu airport was temporarily closed after the crash but reopened within hours, according to officials.

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A 5-member investigation committee has been formed under the leadership of Ratish Chandra Lal Suman, former Director General of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), Prithivi Subba Gurung, the Spokesperson of Government of Nepal confirmed, reports news agency ANI.

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The victims, including two crew members, technical staff of the airline, and a family of three, including a four-year-old boy, are being identified through post-mortem examinations, with bodies expected to be released to families on Friday.

The pilot, Captain Manish Raj Shakya, is receiving treatment at Kathmandu Medical College. His condition remains stable, with reports indicating that he is able to speak despite being in the ICU.