A plane has crashed in Nepal, killing at least 40 people

At least 40 people were killed in a plane crash in Nepal on Sunday. Aviation spokesman Jagannath Nirola said the plane, with 72 people on board, crashed in Pokhara, in the west of the country. Yeti Airlines spokesman Sudarshan Partola said 10 foreigners, some of them Europeans, were among the passengers. It was an indoor flight with an ATR 72.

State television reported that some bodies had been found. Video footage showed thick black smoke over the crash site. Rescuers were on site, and crowds of people watched their work. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahl called an emergency cabinet meeting. Air accidents are not common in the high mountainous country of Nepal where the 14 highest peaks in the world are located due to sudden climatic changes and then dangerous flying conditions as compared to other countries.

A police spokesman in Pokhara told dpa on Sunday that 29 bodies had been found so far. The spokesman said that about 300 police officers and additional elements of the army are at the site for rescue work. The plane crashed just before landing. In addition to the Nepalese, there were also Indians, Russians, Koreans and one person each from Ireland, Argentina and France on the plane, the Indian news agency quoted airport authorities as saying.