A flight carrying 19 people bounded towards the highest peak in the world, Mount Everest crashed just outside the capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu.

The craft came down in flames and all of the people on board have been killed in the incidence, including 7 people from the UK and 5 Chinese nationals. The twin-engine Sita Air craft, which was flying from Kathmandu to the gateway to the Mount Everest, Lukla town, crashed just after take-off.

The plane crashed into the river near the airport early in the morning. People witnessed the accident said that they saw fire coming out of one of the wings of the plane when it hit the ground while some also reportedly heard screams of the passengers.

Police spokesman Binod Singh said, “The crash has caused the death of 12 foreigners, including seven British and five Chinese tourists. The remaining seven, including three crew members, are Nepalese. The pilots seem to have tried to land it safely on the banks of the river but unfortunately the plane caught fire.”

He also said that the plane crashed less than one kilometer from the airport at around 6:30 am near the Manohara river in the capital city.