The case is updated.

A plane with 72 people has crashed west of Pokhara in Nepal, reports the Reuters news agency.

At least 40 bodies have been recovered from the scene. 16 people have been confirmed dead, according to the army.

– We expect to find more, says spokesperson for the army Krishna Pokahara to Reuters.

An official tells local media that there is very little chance that anyone has survived.

– We do not yet know if anyone has survived, says the spokesman for the airline Sudarshan Bartaula.

The wreckage has caught fire, and rescue crews are trying to extinguish the fire.

Ten of the passengers were foreigners

A policeman tells the online newspaper Lokantar that only one wing of the plane is intact.

– The fire is still going on. No one is saved, he says.

Among the 72 on board there were 68 passengers and a crew of four. Ten of the passengers were foreigners, the police told local media .

The plane crashed between the old and new airports in Pokhara, central Nepal. It was on its way from the capital Kathmandu to Pokhara.

Pokhara is Nepal’s second largest city.

Nepal’s aviation industry has long struggled with poor safety. The EU has banned flights from Nepali airlines in its airspace. The aircraft will be a twin-engine ATR 72.

Lack of training and maintenance of the planes are among the reasons for the poor safety.