After an aircraft crashed in Nepal on Sunday morning, at least 68 out of 72 passengers aboard died. Eyewitnesses captured gut-wrenching footage of the wreckage engulfed in flames, and black smoke billowing above the crashed plane.
The horrific aftermath of the crash was captured on video as rescue workers searched for bodies in a gorge the aircraft crashed into. The crash landing took place near the recently opened Pokhara airport.
It was the deadliest plane crash in three decades for the Himalayan nation. Rescue workers, soldiers, and onlookers gathered at the crash site.
On Twitter, other harrowing clips showed a plane turning sharply left over a residential area before a deafening explosion occurred.
The airline confirmed 72 people were aboard the flight – 68 passengers and four crew members. There were 15 foreign nations represented by those that were on the plane. This includes an Australian, a Frenchman, an Argentinian, four Russians, five Indians, two South Koreans, and one Irishman.
According to the Kathmandu Post, two infants were also on board.
A nearby resident, Bishnu Tiwari, rushed to the wreckage to help search for bodies. He said thick smoke and flames consumed the aircraft, hampering rescue efforts.
In his statement, Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that the plane had been flying from the capital, Kathmandu, to Pokhara in central Nepal when it crashed. The cause of the accident was not immediately clear.
It is difficult to travel by air in Nepal because of the unpredictable weather. Nepal is also home to eight of the world’s fourteen highest mountains, including Everest- making it difficult to travel by air.