The government has formed a five-member committee to investigate the Saurya Airlines crash.

A Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday in Singhadurbar decided to form the committee led by former director-general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Ratish Chandra Lal Suman.

The committee includes captain Deepu Jwarchan from Nepal Airlines, engineer Sanjay Adhikari from Shree Airlines, assistant professor Sudip Bhattarai from Pulchowk Engineering Campus, and technical officer Mukesh Dangol from the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.

The committee has been given 45 days to submit a report.

A total of 18 people died when a Saurya Airlines aircraft crashed at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Wednesday.

Nineteen people, including two crew members, were in the Pokhara-bound flight, with registration number 9NAME, which took off from Kathmandu at 11:11 am.

Nepal Police said Captain MR Shakya was rescued from the crash site and has been admitted to the KMC Hospital in Sinamangal for treatment. Most of the passengers were airline staff travelling to Pokhara for aircraft maintenance.