Pushpa Kamal Dahal

Helicopters and ground troops rushed to help people hurt in a strong earthquake that shook northwestern Nepal districts just before midnight Friday, killing at least 128 people and injuring dozens dozens more, officials said Saturday.

Authorities said the death toll was expected to rise, noting that communications were cut off with many places.

A passenger plane with 72 people on board has crashed near Pokhara International Airport in Nepal, the daily newspaper Kathmandu Post reported Sunday.

The plane was carrying 68 passengers and four crew members, the newspaper reported, quoting a spokesperson for Yeti Airlines.

As Nepal's new Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal arrived in New Delhi on Thursday for a four-day visit, India announced that it would help the Himalayan country build railway tracks, stretching from Mechi in east Nepal to Mahakali in the west.