Kathmandu, Sep 28 (IANS): Nineteen people, including 12 foreigners, were killed Friday when an aircraft crashed minutes after taking off from the international airport here, an official said.

The dead include three crew members, reported Xinhua.

The aircrash took place barely four months after an airplane carrying 21 people crashed on a cliff in western Nepal. At least seven Indians were among those killed in the May 14 aircrash.

On Friday, the Dornier Aircraft 9N-AHA of Sita Air crashed at 6.10 a.m. just a kilometre away from the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.

According to Sita Air employee Kapil Karki, who was at the crash site, 12 foreigners and seven Nepalese were killed.

The aircraft, which was on its way for a mountain flight to Lukla from Kathmandu Airport, crashed within a few minutes of its take off.

Karki said most of the dead were Italian nationals.

The crew members have been identified as pilot Bijay Tandukar, co-pilot Takeshi Thapa and airhostess Roja Shakya, said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jaya Bahadur Chand.

The front part of the aircraft was totally burnt, said Chand.

Seven fire engines were deployed to douse the flames that enveloped the plane.