UPDATE 2 - Plane crashes in Nepal, kills 18

UPDATES WITH POLICE STATEMENT; CHANGES HEADER

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - At least 18 passengers were killed after a plane crashed on Wednesday in Nepal, police said.

Four passengers, including captain MR Shakya of the Saurya Airlines airplane, were rescued to two different hospitals.

However, three of the rescued passengers succumbed to their injuries at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.

The aircraft “crashed during takeoff” at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in the capital Kathmandu.

Premnath Thakur, TIA spokesman, said the incident happened at around 11 a.m. (0515GMT).

All passengers were employees of Saurya Airlines and the plane was en route to the city of Pokhara in central Nepal for "technical inspection."

One of the deceased employees was of Yemeni nationality, the police said.

The Nepalese army led the rescue operations that are underway at the accident site.