The crew of the aircraft that crashed Friday minutes after taking-off from the international airport in Kathmandu had felt intense heat in the cabin, it was reported in London. A member of the Sita Airways operations office told The Telegraph that shortly before the fire broke out, the crew became aware of intense heat in the cabin.

"There was very much heat and then the fire began. They were very close to the airport. After two or three minutes it crashed," the official was quoted as saying.

The dead include the crew - a pilot, a co-pilot and an air hostess.

The Dornier Aircraft 9N-AHA of Sita Air crashed at 6.10 am just a kilometre away from the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, killing all 19 people onboard.