All are feared dead after a Tara Air plane carrying 23 people - two of them babies - crashed Wednesday morning in mountainous northern Nepal midway through what should have been a 19-minute flight, officials said.
Most of the 19 bodies retrieved as of early Wednesday evening were charred beyond recognition, said Bishwa Raj Khadka, deputy police superintendent for Myagdi district.
The aircraft was supposed to have flown from Pokhara - one of the most popular tourist destinations in Nepal - to Jomsom, the gateway for one of the most popular Himalayan trekking routes.
The Twin Otter plane was supposed to be in the air for only 19 minutes after it took off around 7:50 a.m. Wednesday from the city of Pokhara heading to the town of Jomsom, Rai said.