Of the 68 passengers, 53 were Nepal nationals and the rest 15 were foreigners - five Indians, four Russians, two Koreans, and one each from Australia, Ireland, Argentina, and France.  

As hope dims, it is feared that all the people who were on board had died in what has become a worst air disaster in Nepal in decades. 

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal called an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers and later, the government has declared a public holiday on January 16 to mourn the victims of the plane crash.

KP Sharma Oli's statement has come amid the fierce opposition he has been facing in his country - which has a majority of the population following Hinduism.