British, Chinese among 19 dead as Nepal plane crashes on takeoff

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - A small plane crashed shortly after takeoff from the Nepali capital of Kathmandu on Friday, killing 19 people, including seven British and five Chinese passengers, an airline official said. The twin-engine propeller-driven Dornier aircraft, owned by private firm Sita Air, had taken off from Kathmandu for Lukla in the Mount Everest region when it crashed in a field near Kathmandu airport, police said. The weather was clear at the time and the cause of the crash was not immediately known. Four Nepali passengers and three Nepali crew were among the dead.