A plane with 22 people on board has gone missing in Nepal’s mountains, according to airline and government officials..

The small plane operating by a private airline in the South Asian country disappeared on Sunday morning.

It had been on a 15-minute scheduled flight from the tourist town of Pokhara to the mountain town of Jomsom, and lost contact with the airport tower shortly after take-off.

Local police said there was no information on the Twin Otter aircraft, which belonged to Tara Air, and a search was underway.

The 9N-AET plane is said to have lost contact at 9:55am, according to a Tara Air official.

An air traffic controller at Jomsom Airport said they have an unconfirmed report about a loud noise in Ghasa of Jomsom, according to the Kathmandu Post.

The publication added that a helicopter has been dispatched in the areas where the last contact was made, which was in Lete Pass.

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The aircraft had been carrying 13 Nepalis, four Indians, two Germans and three crew members.

It has been raining in the area for several days, however, flights have been operating as usual.

The route the plane took required it to fly between mountains before landing in a valley.

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

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