The final harrowing moments before a Nepalese plane crashed to the ground and killed 68 people have been shared on social media.
As reported by BBC, on January 15, the Yeti Airlines flight from Kathmandu to the tourist town of Pokhara crashed on landing before catching fire.
It has been revealed that 72 people - four crew members and 68 passengers - were on board the ATR 72 plane when it crashed, Yeti Airlines spokesman Sudarshan Bartaula said. Among them were 37 men, 25 women, three children, and three babies, per CNN.
Now, new footage from inside the plane moments before the ill-fated landing has emerged online, showing an Indian passenger named Sonu Jaiswal - as confirmed by Times of India - broadcasting live on Facebook.
The clip showed passengers looking relaxed and smiling as the aircraft flew over houses. The plane's logo was seen over Jaiswal's shoulder and a Nepalese insurance advert can also be spotted on the airline's tray.
As the video continues, the camera suddenly starts to tilt to its right and shake before the plane hits the ground and a loud bang can be heard. The clip then goes dark with flames taking up the entire view of the camera.
According to the publication, Jaiswal's cousin verified that the 29-year-old was on board and that one of his companions - the three of whom were also Indian - shouted "It's real fun" moments before the disaster.
The outlet quoted the passenger's cousin, Rajat Jaiswal, who said: "Sonu was on Facebook live after boarding the flight for Pokhara. The live-streaming showed that Sonu and his companions were in a happy mood but all of a sudden flames appeared before the streaming stopped."
In addition to this, another clip - which appeared to be taken from the rooftop of a house in Pokhara - was posted online and it showed the moments before the aircraft crashed.
Footage appearing to show the flight can be seen below (Warning - Some people will find the video upsetting):The footage revealed the plane flying low over a populated area and tilting on its side before the aircraft is no longer seen in the clip. A loud explosion is then heard at the end of the video.
A five-member committee has also been formed to investigate the cause of the crash. They must present a report to the government within 45 days, according to Nepal’s deputy prime minister and government spokesperson Bishnu Paudel, per CNN.
The outlet shared that the search was called off at midnight - per Army spokesman Krishna Prasad Bhandari - and will resume Monday morning (January 16). Many first responders are still working to find the remaining four people.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal also summoned an emergency meeting of his cabinet and instructed state agencies to work on rescue operations, as stated by the BBC.
Furthermore, the civil aviation authority disclosed that 53 of the passengers and all four crew members were Nepali. The other fifteen were foreign nationals: two were Korean, five were Indian, and four were Russian. The rest were citizens of Australia, Argentina, France, and Ireland.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of all the victims.
.jpg_cLI4tv?tr=h-184)
.jpg_fgRcK8?tr=h-184)