A plane carrying 72 people has crashed in Nepal, officials have said.

Video on local media showed thick black smoke billowing from the crash site as rescue workers and crowds gather around the wreckage of the aircraft.

It was carrying 68 passengers and four crew members, a spokesperson for the airline said. Of the passengers, 10 were foreigners while two were infants.

Ten foreigners were on board, as well as two infants, a spokesman for the airline said.

Some bodies had been recovered from the site in western Pokhara.

At least 16 people have been killed, an army spokesperson said.

“We expect to recover more bodies,” Krishna Bhandari said. “The plane has broken into pieces.”

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Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal called an emergency cabinet meeting and urged security personnel and the general public to help with rescue efforts.

The twin-engine ATR 72 operated by Yeti Airlines was en route from the capital Kathmandu, the airport official said.

Plane crashes are not uncommon in Nepal, which hosts eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains including Everest, as the weather can change suddenly and make for hazardous conditions.

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