The twin-engine ATR 72 aircraft was flying from Kathmandu to Pokhara, a tourist town located 200 kilometres west, when it crashed while attempting to land at a newly opened airport.

Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority said that the plane was carrying 68 passengers including 15 foreign nationals, as well as four crew members. The foreigners included five Indians, four Russians, two South Koreans, and one each from Ireland, Australia, Argentina and France. Of the five Indians, four were from the Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh and went to Nepal on January 13 on a holiday.

According to sources, the Nepal plane was expected to have 72 passengers and crew members.

In addition, Nepal’s military said 66 people have been confirmed dead after a passenger plane crashed near a popular tourist spot at the foot of the Himalayas.

The country’s aviation authorities said the plane carrying 72 passengers and crew members went down on Sunday morning, local time, on its way from the capital Kathmandu to Pokhara in central Nepal.

The officials said foreigners were among the passengers on the flight, which was operated by domestic carrier Yeti Airlines.

Footage from the site shows firefighters working amid the wreckage of the aircraft with billowing plumes of black smoke.

The mountainous country has a long history of air accidents.

The latest crash occurred as tourists and climbers started to return after the coronavirus pandemic dealt a severe blow to Nepal’s tourism industry.

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