A SMALL PLANE flying on a popular tourist route with 22 people on board is missing in Nepal’s mountains, an official said today.

The Tara Airlines aircraft, which was on a 15-minute scheduled flight to the mountain town of Jomsom, took off from the resort town of Pokhara, 200km east of Kathmandu. It lost contact with the airport tower shortly afterwards.

Police official Ramesh Thapa said there was no information on the turboprop Twin Otter plane and a search is under way.

Those on board included six foreigners on board – four Indians and two Germans – a police official said.

It has been raining in the area for the past few days but flights have been operating normally.

Planes on that route fly between mountains before landing in a valley.

It is a popular route with foreign hikers who trek on the mountain trails and also with Indian and Nepalese pilgrims who visit the revered Muktinath temple.