A plane in Katmandu,Nepal crashed and caught fire after takeoff killing 19 people Friday. The plane was carrying trekkers to the Everest region and include travelers from China, the UK and Nepal.
The airline, Sita Air, which is a domestic airliner crashed only 547 yards from the airport. The pilot reported trouble two minutes after takeoff and an airport official said that the pilot appeared to be trying to turn back.
The plane was on its way to Lukla, which is the gateway to Mount Everest, that thousands of visitors making treks in the area every year.
Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the crash and identify bodies in the tragedy. It has not been confirmed whether the plane was on fire before it crashed.
According to NBC News there was cellphone video shot by people near the scene that showed the front part of the plane on fire when it hit the ground. It also appears from video footage that the pilot attempted to land the plane beside the Manohara river. The fire spread to the rear of the plane.
Police searched through the wreckage to look for survivors and bodies of the deceased. Of the group of 19, seven were British, five were Chinese and four passengers and three crew members, Nepalese.
The plane was one of the first flights to take off from Katmandu's Tribhuwan International Airport and no other flights have reported problems.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
