Tara Air reported that 22 people were aboard a plane that went missing in Nepal's mountainous region.

"Contact was lost with an domestic flight heading towards Jomsom from Pokhara," stated Sudarshan Bartaula spokesperson for the Kathmandu-based airline.

Twin Otter, a twin-engine aircraft, took off from Pokhara in central Nepal at 9:55 AM (4:10 GMT), before losing radio contact.

The aircraft has three crew members and 19 passengers, including four Indian nationals.

Phanindra Pokharel, spokesperson for the Interior Ministry said that two helicopters had been dispatched to conduct search operations. Bad weather could slow down search operations. He explained that visibility is so low you can't even see anything."

Jomsom is known as the starting point for trekkers to the Himalayas. It's located 20 minutes from Pokhara (the country's second-largest city), 200 km west Kathmandu.