At least 50 dead as US-Bangla Airlines plane crash-lands at Kathmandu airport, rescue ops on

A plane from US-Bangla, a Bangladeshi airline, crashed on the east side of Tribhuvan International Airport`s runway on Monday.

Kathmandu: A passenger aircraft of the US-Bangla Airlines from Dhaka to Kathmandu crash-landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) on Monday, killing at least 50 people and injuring several others. News agency Reuters quoted Nepal Army spokesperson as saying that at least 50 people have been killed in the tragic incident.

AP had earlier claimed that at least 38 people have died and over 23 injured in the plane crash.

At least 10 people are still unaccounted for, AP reported.

The airport has been closed for all operations and rescue operations are currently underway.

At least 20 people were initially rescued after the 78-seater plane caught fire after crash-landing at the airport.

The plane from US-Bangla, a Bangladeshi airline, crashed on the east side of the Kathmandu airport runway, Nepal's Kathmandu Post had earlier reported.

TIA spokesperson Prem Nath Thakur earlier said, "There were 67 passengers and 4 crew members aboard the plane.''

''The aircraft careened off the runway during landing and crashed onto a football ground near the airport, catching fire,'' the airport spokesman said.

Plumes of black smoke were seen rising from the football pitch minutes after the plane crashed, to the east of the runway at Nepal`s only international airport, in the capital Kathmandu.

Firefighters were immediately rushed to the spot to extinguish the burning wreckage and rescue passengers.

''So far 20 people injured have been taken to the hospital. Police and Army are trying to cut apart the plane to rescue others," he added.

Live footage posted on Facebook showed the towering columns of smoke rising behind the runway, where another plane stood waiting on the tarmac. 

A Nepal-based journalist also posted a picture of the ill-fated plane on Twitter. 

According to FrugalTravelsNepal‏, the incident occurred around (IST) 2:20 pm. 

Nepal has suffered a number of air disasters in recent years, dealing a blow to its tourist industry.

Its poor air safety record has been blamed largely on inadequate maintenance, inexperienced pilots and substandard management.

In early 2016, a Twin Otter turboprop aircraft slammed into a mountainside in Nepal killing all 23 people on board.

Two days later, two pilots were killed when a small passenger plane crash-landed in the country`s hilly midwest.