Plane crashed in Nepal

A plane carrying 21 people crashed Monday while trying to land at a mountain airstrip in Nepal's northern Himalayas, killing at least nine, authorities said. Eight survivors in critical condition were flown by helicopter to a hospital.

The plane hit a mountain while it was turning around to land at Jomsom Airport, said Laxmi Raj Sharma, chief government administrator in the area. The wrecked aircraft was in pieces but did not catch fire.

Sharma said initial investigations show that the plane might have suffered technical problems.

Rescuers recovered at least nine bodies from the wreckage site, Sharma said. He said survivors were flown to the nearby city of Pokhara for treatment.