JUST IN: Plane ‘Breaks Into Pieces’ After Crash, Kills 44 Passengers

Government officials in Nepal say an aircraft carrying 72 people crashed near an airport in the country, killing about 44 of them onboard.

BBC reports that the aircraft flew from Kathmandu to the tourist town of Pokhara before crashing.

It caught fire after hitting the ground.

Rescue operations led by soldiers followed immediately on Sunday and brought about 40 dead bodies out of the plane.

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

The country’s Prime Minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal has convened an emergency meeting of his cabinet over the development.

Passengers in the plane include 53 Nepalese, five Indian, four Russians and two Koreans.