A video posted on social media appears to show the final moments of a Yeti Airlines flight which crashed near Pokhara, Nepal.
The flight was operating from Kathmandu and of the 72 people on board the aircraft, at least 68 have been confirmed dead.
The aircraft involved was a 15-year-old ATR72-500 registered as 9N-ANC.
Speaking to the BBC, a witness described how she rushed to the crash site after seeing the aircraft crash. She said: “By the time I was there the crash site was already crowded. There was huge smoke coming from the flames of the plane. And then helicopters came over in no time,”
She noted how she thought the pilot had tried to avoid houses adding: “There was a small space right beside the Seti River and the flight hit the ground in that small space.”
In a statement, the aircraft manufacturer ATR said: “ATR has been informed that an accident occurred in Nepal involving an ATR 72-500. Our first thoughts are with all the individuals affected by this. The ATR specialists are fully engaged to support both the investigation and the customer”
Nepal’s safety record is one of the worst in the world with 28 fatal accidents in the last 30 years.
The video shows the ATR 72-500 aircraft rolling to the left sharply before disappearing from view, viewer discretion is advised as some may find the video upsetting.
