CNN \u2014 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At least 18 people were killed after a small plane skidded off the runway in Nepal\u2019s capital Kathmandu on Wednesday, local officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pilot, who has been hospitalized, is the sole survivor of the Saurya Airlines crash, said Gyanendra Bhul, a spokesperson for Tribhuvan International Airport. All those on board – 18 Nepalis and a Yemeni citizen – were employees of the carrier, according to police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Images from Nepal police showed<\/a> thick smoke billowing from the burning aircraft on the the airport runway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The aircraft crashed during takeoff from Kathmandu to the city of Pokhara around 11 a.m. local time, Bhul said. The plane was en route for technical maintenance, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRescue efforts were started immediately and the situation was brought under control,\u201d the aviation authority said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The crash once again highlights the dangers of air travel in Nepal, a country often referred to as one of the riskiest places to fly due to multiple factors including its mountainous terrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Himalayan country, home to eight of the world\u2019s 14 highest mountains including Everest, has a record of air accidents<\/a>. Its weather can change suddenly, and airstrips are typically sited in difficult-to-reach, mountainous areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n