NEW DELHI, January 15. /TASS/. The pilot of a passenger plane that crashed in Nepal directed the airplane toward a ravine to avoid falling on a populated area, the Online Khabar news portal reported on Sunday, citing eyewitnesses.

Local residents who saw the moment the plane crashed say that the plane was directed towards the gorge of the Seti River. In this way, the pilot prevented the plane from falling on the settlement where a large Ramghat market is located.

The plane of Nepal's Yeti Airlines flying from Kathmandu to Pokhara crashed on Sunday morning. There were 72 people on board. Four Russians, five Indians, two South Koreans and one Irish citizen, one Argentinian, one Australian and one Frenchman were aboard the plane. According to News-18, they all died.

The crash occurred on landing approach. An ATR 72 short-haul regional airliner, produced in France and Italy by aircraft manufacturer ATR, crashed to the ground. It can carry up to 74 passengers. Rescuers are still working at the scene.