KATHMANDU: An aircraft belonging to Goma Air crashed on Saturday as it tried to land in foggy weather at a tiny airport in Mt Everest region, sources at the airport said.

“The 9N-AKY airplane with three crew members crashed while landing at Tenzing-Hilary Airport in Lukla just a few minutes ago,” a senior manager at the TIA also confirmed. Goma Air sources told THT that the cargo plane was piloted by Captain Paras Kumar Rai along with a co-pilot Srijan Manandhar. Pragya Maharjan has been identified as a flight attendant.

Rescue operation is being carried out by the locals, Nepal Army and police personnel, an eyewitness said THT over a phone. Airhostess Maharjan has been rescued, he said, adding that she is being rushed to nearby hospital. The rescuers were also trying to locate the caption and co-pilot, he added.

The plane crashed about three metres below the runway threshold, a source at Lukla Airport said.