Officials in Nepal say a plane has crashed shortly after taking off from the capital Kathmandu, killing all 19 people aboard.

An airport official said the pilot notified air traffic controllers the plane had hit a bird moments before it went down.

Aviation authorities say the Sita Air flight crashed on the banks of the Manohara river, where it was engulfed in flames.

Police officials say seven British, five Chinese and four Nepali passengers were among the dead. The plane's three Nepali crew members also died in the crash.

The Sita Air plane was headed to Lukla, the gateway to Mount Everest. Thousands of foreigners head to the region around the world's highest peak yearly for trekking trips.

Autumn is the peak season for climbing in Nepal, which has eight of the world's 14 highest mountains.