JUST IN: Plane Crashes In Central Nepal – At Least 16 Dead

A plane with 72 people on board has crashed near Pokhara airport in central Nepal and 16 bodies have been recovered, officials say.

The ATR 72 Yeti Airlines plane was flying from Kathmandu to Pokhara and crashed on landing, catching fire, reports the BBC.

There were 68 passengers on board, including 10 foreign nationals, and four crew members, Reuters reports.

Nepalese soldiers are involved in the rescue at the crash site near the tourist town’s airport.

Video of the crash site, posted on social media, showed thick billowing black smoke and burning debris.

“We expect to recover more bodies,” an army spokesman told Reuters, saying the plane “has broken into pieces”.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal called an emergency meeting of his cabinet and urged state agencies to work on rescue operations.