Kathmandu, May 16 (IANS): Two pilots were killed after a cargo aircraft of the Makalu Airlines crashed in Nepal on Wednesday, authorities said.

The plane had gone missing early on Wednesday. The crash was discovered in Humla district nearly four hours later, Xinhua news agency reported.

Both the pilot and the co-pilot on board were killed. Preparations are underway to airlift their bodies to Kathmandu, said an airport official.

"We are yet to ascertain the cause of the crash. An investigation will be soon launched," he said.

The plane with the two crew members had taken off from Surkhet for Humla's Simikot at 6.12 a.m.

It was scheduled to land at 6.55 a.m., but it lost contact just a few minutes before landing, according to the air traffic control.

Humla is one of the remotest districts in Karnali region. The district is accessible only by small aircrafts.

Wednesday's crash comes nearly two months after a US-Bangla aircraft crashed in the Tribhuvan International Airport, killing 51 people and injuring over a dozen.