KATHMANDU, May 29: A passenger plane has gone missing in Nepal since Sunday morning. The private airline was carrying 22 passengers and crew on board, including four Indians and three Japanese nationals, airport officials said.

The Tara Air 9 NAET twin-engine aircraft lost contact while flying from the tourist town of Pokhara, 200 km northwest of Capital Kathmandu to Jomsom in mountainous Mustang district, 80 km to the northwest, a 15 -minute trip. The plane took off at 9:55 am (local time).

Reports said the plane had reached Jomsom but was seen being diverted to Mt. Dhaulagiri. It is believed to have crashed in Lete in Mustang as people are reported to have heard the crashing siound. Two helicopters have been deployed to look for the missing plane.

Tara Air claims to have the "widest domestic flights network" in Nepal. "No other airlines in Nepal flies to the remote STOL (short takeoff and landing) sectors as extensively and frequently as we do." The airline operates seven STOL aircrafts - five Twin Otter (DHC 6/300) and two Dornier (DO 228) aircrafts.

In 2016, a Twin Otter turboprop aircraft of Tara Air crashed in the western district of Myagdi, killing 23 passengers. However, Nepal, situated in the Himalayas, with its mountainous terrain, has had fewer air accidents.