Wreckage of missing plane found; 23 dead

Rescuers said they have found the wreckage of a small plane carrying 23 people that crashed in a mountainous area of Nepal in bad weather.

A Chinese national and a Kuwaiti citizen were among the dead.

The Twin Otter aircraft, operated by private Tara Air, was on a flight from Pokhara, 125 kilometers west of the capital, Kathmandu, to Jomsom when it lost contact with the control tower.

"It has broken into pieces," police officer Bishwaraj Khadka said in Myagdi, the town nearest the crash site. "There are no survivors."

Police official Harihari Yogi said the wreckage of the plane, which crashed on Wednesday during a scheduled 18-minute flight, was still burning and all the bodies were charred. He said the plane appeared to have flown directly into a mountain.

Residents reported hearing a loud explosion near the small village of Rupshe.

Airport official Yogendra Kuwar said the plane lost contact shortly after takeoff.

Officials said thick fog had enveloped the Mustang area where Jomsom is located. Mustang is a popular hiking area on the Mount Annapurna trekking circuit.

AP - Reuters