A plane crash in Nepal kill 19 people

All 19 people died in a plane crash in Nepal after a bird hit it among which seven were believed to be Britons, five Chinese people, three passengers and four crew members from the country.

The plane was headed towards Lukla, for trekking in the mountain region, were killed when a Sita Airways-owned Dornier aircraft crashed two minutes after it took off at 6:15 am (local time) from the Tribhuvan International Airport, officials said.

"Immediately after the plane take off, the air traffic controllers noticed the aircraft making unusual maneuvers. When the controller asked the pilot about it, he said the plane had struck a bird," Manager of Tribhuvan International Airport Ratish Chandra Lal Suman said.

"Shortly after, the aircraft crashed. All the bodies have been sent to hospital for post mortem examinations," he said.
The police, army and airport staff rushed to the accident site for carrying out rescue work soon after the crash.
The plane had caught fire as soon as it took off and it crashed at the banks of the Manahara river in Koteshwor region, near a slum area, just 2-3 km south of the airport.
The crew members are identified as Captain Bijaya Tandukar, co-Pilot Takeshi Thapa and airhostess Ruja Shakya.