A plane bound for a tourist city in Nepal tried to land at a newly opened airport. Within 27 minutes, the plane crashed into a canyon.
At least 68 of the 72 people on board died.
The Nepal Civil Aviation Authority said it was unclear what caused the accident.
The aircraft last made contact with the airport at 10:50 a.m. local time from near the Seti Gorge before the crash, the Civil Aviation Authority said.
The twin-engine ATR-72 plane, operated by Nepal’s Yeti Airlines, was flying from the capital Kathmandu to the city of Pokhara, 200 kilometers west of it.
Among the 68 passengers were 15 foreign nationals and four crew members, the aviation agency said.
Local resident Diwas Bohora, 33, said he was sitting on the balcony of his home and started filming the moment he saw the plane flying low.
Indradhoj Baruwal was another witness.
“When the plane made a loud noise, we turned around and saw the bamboo forest fall. I told my friend that the plane was falling to the ground. We heard the sound of the explosion.”
Three people survived the crash, he said.