The pilot is the only survivor after a domestic plane carrying 19 people skidded off the runway and crashed while attempting to take off in Nepal.
The plane was carrying two crew members and 17 technicians to the city of Pokhara for maintenance checks, airport security chief Arjun Chand Thakuri said.
Mr Thakuri also told local media the plane “caught fire” after it left the runway in the capital Kathmandu.
TV channels showed fire fighters trying to put out the fire and thick black smoke rising into the sky.
The pilot survived and was taken to Kathmandu Medical College Hospital for treatment, said a doctor at the hospital who was not authorised to speak to media.
The pilot has injuries to the eyes but is not in any danger, the doctor said.
The plane belonged to local Saurya Airlines, media said.
Saurya operates domestic flights in Nepal with two Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jets, both around 20 years old, according to Flight Radar 24.
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