A plane crashed during takeoff in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu on Wednesday morning with 19 people aboard, the Kathmandu Post newspaper reported citing an airport official.

The newspaper said the Saurya Airlines plane crashed at around 11:00 am (0515 GMT) with police and firefighters engaged in rescue efforts.

“Nineteen people, including aircrew, were aboard,” the paper reported, quoting airport spokesperson Premnath Thakur.

News portal Khabarhub reported that the airplane had caught fire and was “releasing a significant plume of smoke”.

The flight was en route to Pokhara, an important tourism hub in the Himalayan republic.

Saurya Airlines exclusively flies Bombardier CRJ 200 jets, according to its website.