Nepal plane crash with 72 onboard leaves at least 68 dead

Hundreds of rescuers from the army and the police were deployed to the scene. The rescue operation was halted on Sunday evening but authorities said there were still more bodies to be retrieved.

The twin-propeller aircraft had been travelling from the capital, Kathmandu, to the city of Pokhara in central Nepal, a popular gateway to the Himalayan mountains for religious pilgrims and international trekkers.

The flight took off at 10.30am on Sunday morning and had made final contact with air traffic control at 10.50am. Seconds later it crashed on the banks of the Seti Gandaki river shortly before it was about to land at Pokhara international airport. The airport had been newly inaugurated just two weeks ago.

Footage shared on social media, which appeared to be shot shortly after the crash, showed the plane engulfed in flames on the ground as black smoke billowed into the sky from debris strewn across the crash site.

A video clip showed the plane flying at a dangerously low altitude over a residential area, followed by a loud explosion which was heard by local villagers.

The European Union has banned all Nepal airlines from its airspace over safety concerns.

Aircraft operators say Nepal lacks the infrastructure for accurate weather forecasts, especially in remote areas with challenging mountainous terrain where deadly crashes have taken place in the past. The weather can also change quickly in the mountains, creating treacherous flying conditions.