At least 4 U.S. residents among those killed in Nepal plane crash

Two Americans and two permanent residents living in the United States were among the 72 people killed after a plane crashed in Nepal over the weekend, the State Department said.

Yeti Airlines Flight 691 crashed Sunday just minutes before landing, in a tragedy that left no survivors.

"We’re deeply saddened to hear the tragic Yeti airlines craft over the weekend which killed 72 people, including two U.S. citizens and two lawful permanent residents," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a news briefing Wednesday.

"Our thoughts are with the families of those on board," Price said. "The United States stands ready to support Nepal in any way we can."

Price did not identify or provide any further details on the two U.S. citizens and permanent residents killed in the crash.

The plane had been headed to popular tourist spot Pokhara after departing from Nepal's capital city, Kathmandu, for a roughly 27-minute journey when the crash unfolded.

Dozens of Nepali nationals were killed, along with foreign nationals from countries including India, Russia, South Korea, Argentina, Australia, Ireland and France, aviation officials said in a statement.

Nepal observed a day of national mourning Monday in honor of the victims of the crash. A panel was also being set up to investigate the disaster and how to prevent future tragedies.

On Wednesday, the French Embassy in Nepal said France had dispatched a team of aviation experts to assist the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal at the site of the crash.

Sunday's crash was the deadliest Nepal has seen since 1992, when all 167 people on board a Pakistan International Airlines plane were killed when the aircraft struck a hill as it tried to land in Kathmandu.

Since 2000, nearly 350 people have died in plane or helicopter crashes in Nepal.