Devastating footage shows the moment passenger plane nose dives and explodes killing 18 people

At least 18 people have died after a small plane crashed on an airport runway in Nepal.

Only one person - the pilot - survived the crash which took place as the plane attempted to take off from Tribhuvan International Airport, in the capital city of Kathmandu, at approximately 11:11am local time today (July 24).

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The aircraft had been bound for the city of Pokhara, and was carrying 18 Nepalis and a Yemeni citizen. The passengers included two crew members and 17 technicians, all of whom were employees of Saurya Airlines; the carrier operating the flight.

Footage and images of the crash show the plane careering back towards the Earth just moments after its wheels left the ground, heading towards the eastern section of the airport.

A flash of light and a huge cloud of black smoke could then be seen billowing from the direction of the crash site.

Speaking to BBC Nepali, airport chief Jagannath Niraula said the accident 'happened as soon as [the plane] left the ground, in not even a minute'.

The plane appeared to travel in the wrong direction after taking off. (Viral Press)

Niraula told the publication the plane appeared to begin its flight in the wrong direction.

"As soon as it took off, it turned right, [when it] should have turned left," he said.

Gyanendra Bhul, an information officer at Tribhuvan International Airport, told CNN the aircraft had been on its way to undergo technical maintenance when it crashed.

The aviation authority has also commented on the incident, saying: “Rescue efforts were started immediately and the situation was brought under control."

Fire engines and ambulances rushed to the scene, with footage showing responding firefighters working to put out the fire which broke out amid the crash.

Once the fire was brought under control, rescue workers began searching through the wreckage of the plane for the passengers.

18 people died in the crash. (PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP via Getty Images)

According to Sky News, police official Basanta Rajauri said authorities have now pulled out the bodies of all 18 people who died.

Tej Bahadur Poudyal, the spokesperson for Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport, said: "Only the captain was rescued alive and is receiving treatment at a hospital."

The pilot suffered eye injuries in the crash but was not in a life-threatening condition. He was taken to Kathmandu Medical College Hospital to receive treatment.

Authorities are now investigating what caused the plane to crash. It was not raining when the plane went down, though visibility in the capital was generally low at the time.