By Chantal Da Silva -
NBC News
Two Americans and two permanent residents living in the United States were among the 72 people killed in a plane crash in Nepal this weekend, the State Department said.
Yeti Airlines Flight 691 crashed on Sunday just minutes before landing, in a tragedy that left no survivors.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic Yeti Airlines crash that killed 72 people, including two US citizens and two legal permanent residents,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said at a news briefing Wednesday.
[The Latina woman who died in the plane crash in Nepal is identified]
“Our thoughts are with the families of those who were on board.
The United States stands ready to support Nepal in any way we can,” Price said.
Price did not identify or provide further details about the two US citizens and permanent residents killed in the crash.
They capture intense images of a plane crash near a tourist area in Nepal
Jan 16, 202300:41
The plane was heading to the popular tourist town of Pokhara after leaving the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, a journey of about 27 minutes, when the crash occurred.
Dozens of Nepalese nationals were killed, along with foreign nationals from countries including India, Russia, South Korea, Argentina, Australia, Ireland and France, aviation authorities said in a statement.
Nepal observed a day of national mourning on Monday in honor of the victims of the accident.
A panel was also being created to investigate the disaster and how to prevent future tragedies.
[A video recorded by a passenger shows the final moments inside the crashed plane in Nepal with 72 people on board]
On Wednesday, the French embassy in Nepal reported that France had sent a team of aviation experts to assist the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority at the crash site.
Sunday's crash was the deadliest in Nepal since 1992, when all 167 people on board a Pakistan International Airlines plane were killed when it crashed into a hill while trying to land in Kathmandu.
Since 2000, nearly 350 people have been killed in plane or helicopter crashes in Nepal.