The Irish government is “aware” of reports that an Irish person was among the passengers on a plane that crashed in Nepal.

At least 68 people are thought to have died after the passenger aircraft crashed into a gorge while landing at a newly opened airport in central Nepal on Sunday.

Rescue and recovery efforts are ongoing, with videos on social media showing smoke billowing from the crash site.

A spokesman said the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs was aware of reports that an Irish citizen was among the passengers on board.

placeholder image — Rescuers inspect the wreckage at the site of a plane crash in Pokhara on January 15, 2023. - At least 67 people were confirmed dead on January 15 when a plane with 72 on board crashed in Nepal, police said, in the Himalayan country's deadliest aviation disaster in three decades. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP) (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP via Getty Images)

“The Department of Foreign Affairs is aware of reports of the involvement of an Irish citizen in an airplane crash in Nepal, and stands ready to provide consular assistance if requested,” it said.

A total of 15 foreign nationals were on board the plane, according to Nepal’s aviation authority.

The plane had been travelling from the capital Kathmandu to Pokhara International Airport, which began operations only two weeks ago.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash.