Loss of lives in Nepal plane crash extremely unfortunate: Scindia

Locals watch the wreckage of a passenger plane in Pokhara, Nepal, on Sunday.

Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday condoled the loss of lives in a plane crash in Nepal and said it was "extremely unfortunate".

A Nepalese passenger plane with 72 people onboard, including five Indians, crashed into a river gorge while landing at the Pokhara airport on Sunday, killing at least 32 people.

"The loss of lives in a tragic plane crash in Nepal is extremely unfortunate. My thoughts & prayers are with the families of the bereaved. Om Shanti," Scindia said in a tweet.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), Yeti Airlines' 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft took off from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport at 10:33 am. Pokhara is a major tourist destination in the Himalayan nation.

While landing at the Pokhara airport around 11 am, the aircraft crashed on the bank of the Seti River between the old airport and the new airport. There were a total of 68 passengers and four crew members.