A plane carrying 72 people crashed close to an airport in the heart of Nepal, killing dozens of people.
From Kathmandu to the popular tourist destination of Pokhara, the Yeti Airlines aeroplane crashed upon landing before catching fire.
Social media videos depict an aeroplane passing closely above a crowded area before abruptly banking.
Officials reported that at least 68 deaths had been officially confirmed. Unconfirmed sources said that some seriously injured survivors were transferred to hospitals. With 68 passengers, including at least 15 foreign nationals, and four crew members, the aeroplane took off. 53 of the travellers are reportedly from Nepal. On the plane, there were two Koreans, five Russians, and five Indians. In addition, there was one traveller from each of Ireland, Australia, Argentina, and France.
The 15-year-old twin-engine ATR 72 ceased broadcasting location data at 05:05 GMT, and the last signal from the aircraft was received at 05:12, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24.
The effort at the accident site in the Seti canyon, approximately 1.5 kilometres from the airport, attracted hundreds of Nepalese soldiers.
According to authorities, the search effort has been halted for the day.
The plane’s crash site was captured on video with flaming wreckage and dense, billowing black smoke.
In order to expedite rescue efforts, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal convened an emergency meeting of his cabinet. A commission has been assembled to look into what caused the crash.
