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14 dead in Nepal plane crash; several foreigners on board

By Manesh Shrestha, For CNN
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Passengers include U.S., Japanese and British citizens
  • The plane was en route from Kathmandu to Nepal's Everest region
  • The crash occurred during bad weather

Kathmandu, Nepal (CNN) -- A single-engine aircraft carrying 11 passengers and three crew members crashed south of Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday morning, government officials said, killing everyone on board.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal told CNN four of the passengers were U.S. citizens, one was a Japanese citizen and one was a British citizen. Their identities were not immediately confirmed.

The aircraft was flying to the Everest region of Nepal from Kathmandu when it was diverted back to the capital because of poor weather.

A police rescue team was headed to the mountains in the Makwanpur district, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) southeast of Kathmandu, Home Ministry spokesman Jaya Mukunda Khanal said.

Purushottam Shakya, operations chief of the Tribhuvan International Airport, told CNN the aircraft was in pieces. Passengers' remains were spread over the site and were being brought back to the capital, he said.

Rainy conditions at the site could hamper the recovery efforts.