An Irish citizen is understood to be among 72 people on board a plane which has crashed in central Nepal.
Hundreds of rescue workers are currently scouring the hillside crash site, where thick black smoke surrounds the wreckage.
The small twin-engine plane operated by Yeti Airlines was headed for the capital Kathmandu, when it got into difficulty over western Pokhara.
Nepal's aviation authority says at least 40 people have died in what's believed to be the worst crash in the region in more than 30 years.
Air accidents are not uncommon in Nepal, which is home to eight of the world's 14 highest mountains, including Everest.
