Nepal plane crash kills 19

ALL content used in this not-for-profit blog remain the property of their respective owners.
http://www.relax.com.sg/relax/media/1343784/19_dead_in_Nepal_plane_crash.html

The twin-propeller Sita Air plane had just taken off from Kathmandu and was headed to the town of Lukla, gateway to the world’s highest mountain, when it plunged into the banks of a river near the city’s airport around daybreak. Airport authorities said the pilot had reported hitting a bird shortly after take off.

"We could hear people inside the aircraft screaming, but we couldn't throw water at the plane to put out the fire because we were scared that the engines were about to explode," said Tulasha Pokharel, one of the first on the scene.

Pokharel, a 26-year-old housewife living near the Manohara River, told AFP she was picking vegetables around daybreak when she looked up and saw an aircraft which looked like it was flying too slowly.

"There was a fire near one of its wings and the aircraft's body was shaking. The plane moved towards the river for landing and it had almost landed at the river but it slipped off course and moved towards the land.

"At first, I was optimistic that the pilot could manage to land the aircraft on the water and hopeful that some of the passengers would survive."

Pokharel said she and her husband were so close they could hear people inside the aircraft screaming moments before impact.

The crash in Kathmandu killed 19 people, including 12 foreigners. The foreigners included seven Britons and five Chinese, police said.