Nearly all 72 passengers died in Nepal plane crash

A plane that was headed towards a Nepal tourist town crashed on Sunday while attempting to land, killing at least 70 people of the 72 people aboard, according to multiple reports.

Officials are still investigating the incident and have not said what caused the crash – Nepal’s deadliest airplane accident in three decades.

Weather was reportedly clear on the day of the crash and a witness who saw the plan go down said the aircraft had been spinning violently in the air after it began descending. The plane dived nose-first towards its left and crashed into Seti Gorge in the city of Pokhara.

The plane crashed around 1.6 kilometers away from Pokhara International Airport.

The plane, which was a twin-engine ATR 72 aircraft, operated by Nepal’s Yeti Airlines, last made contact with the airport at 10:50 a.m. local time, Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority said. It was carrying a total of 68 passengers and four crew members.

Authorities say the crash is Nepal’s deadliest since 1992, in which 167 people died.

The country is frequently criticized for their reportedly “weak” safety standards. The concern is shared by the European Union, which first banned airlines from Nepal in 2013.