The U.S. Department of State announced on Wednesday that two Americans and two permanent residents living in the United States were among those killed when a plane crashed on Jan. 15 into a river gorge in the city of Pokhara, Nepal.
“We are deeply saddened to hear of the tragic Yeti Airlines crash over the weekend, which killed 72 people, including two U.S. citizens and two lawful permanent residents,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said during a news conference.
“Our thoughts are with the families of those on board,” he continued. “The United States stands ready to support Nepal in any way we can at this difficult hour.”
Price did not identify or release any additional information about the four American citizens and permanent residents killed in the crash.
The twin-engine Yeti Airlines ATR 72 aircraft was carrying 72 people—68 passengers and four crew members—when it crashed over the weekend just before landing in the tourist city of Pokhara.
Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement that 15 foreign nationals were among the passengers. The foreigners included travelers from India, Russia, South Korea, Ireland, Australia, Argentina, and France.
The Jan. 15 crash was the country’s deadliest air disaster in over three decades.
Footage Offer Clues About Cause
On Monday, searchers recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, a discovery that is likely to help investigators determine what caused the aircraft to go down in clear weather, Reuters reported. Both devices were reportedly in good shape and will be sent for analysis.
The Nepal government, meanwhile, has formed a five-member probe committee to investigate the crash.
Bishnu Prasad Paudel, the country’s finance minister, said the committee must submit their findings within 45 days, The Himalayan Times reported.
Video footage posted to social media and taken by an onlooker appears to show the plane flying low over Pokhara as it approaches the airport and then rolling to its side before the video pans away. A loud explosion and screams can then be heard.
Although the official cause of what caused the crash remains unknown, veteran airline consultant Neil Hansford told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that, based on reports, the crash may have been caused by “pilot-handling.”
“I think the pilots have lost control of the aircraft and that’s why it’s ended up on the edge of a ridge,” Hansford said. “Fuel is not an issue, because it burnt so readily, because there was obviously a lot of fuel on board.”
Hansford also noted that environmental conditions in Nepal, such as the rough terrain and high mountains—including Everest—which can prompt cloudy weather and hazardous conditions, are “hostile to aviation.”
“It requires a very high level of pilot skill, very good equipment and, unfortunately, a country underdeveloped like Nepal will always battle to have those factors in place,” he said.
The Jan. 15 crash marked the deadliest in Nepal since 1992, when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A300 crashed into a hillside while approaching Kathmandu, killing all 167 people on board.
Overall, nearly 350 people have died in plane or helicopter crashes in Nepal since 2000. The European Union has banned Nepali airlines from its airspace since 2013 due to safety concerns.
Pokhara is located some 129 kilometers (80 miles) west of Kathmandu and serves as a popular tourist destination owing to its laid-back atmosphere, picturesque lakeside, numerous yoga retreats, and paragliding sites. It also serves as the gateway to the Annapurna Circuit, a popular hiking trail in the Himalayas.
Katabella Roberts contributed to this report.