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Seven British tourists were killed when their plane crashed on take-off – after being hit by a vulture.

Crash investigators in Nepal believe one of the giant birds, with a wingspan of up to 10ft, may have smashed into one of the propellers.

It caused one of the twin engines to fail – and the other burst into flames as the pilot tried to make an emergency landing.

Video footage showed the front section of the plane ablaze as it crashed in a fireball onto a nearby football pitch.

Witnesses told how they saw terrified passengers frantically waving as they nosedived.

They then heard them “screaming and wailing” after plane had hit the ground. The Brits who died – including two brothers– were on a Himalayan trekking holiday.

They were among 19 people killed within minutes of the locally-owned Sita Air plane leaving Kathmandu Airport early yesterday.

Locals tried in vain to put out the flames with buckets of water. There were no survivors.

The victims included 27-year-old Oxford graduate Benjamin Ogden, who had only recently qualified as a lawyer.

The others were: Raymond Eagle, 58, from Macclesfield, Christopher Davey, 51, Vincent Kelly, 50, from Bolton, Darren Kelly, 45, from Dumfries, Scotland, Stephen Holding, 60, of Winwick, Cheshire, and Timothy Oakes, 57, from Warrington.

(Image: Getty)

It is believed they were all keen mountaineers who regularly climbed together. Three Nepalese guides, five Chinese passengers and four crew were also among the dead.

Last night Mr Oakes’ heartbroken wife Angie Gaunt paid tribute to her husband at their home in the Cheshire village of Winwick, where the couple lived with their daughter.

She said he was on the trip of a lifetime with an old school friend.

She said: “It was his dream to go to Everest base camp. If you love the mountains, it is the ultimate.”

She added: “He was with a tour company he held in very high esteem. If you live your life to the full, you take risks. This should not deter people. He was a climber and a mountaineer.”

Mr Ogden, a keen walker who studied Law and German at Oxford, lived with his girlfriend Stephanie in London and worked for Allen & Overy Solicitors.

His family, from Buckingham, near Milton Keynes, were too upset to comment today.

A spokesman for the global law firm said: “Everyone is deeply shocked. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends.

“Ben had recently qualified and it was clear to everyone that he had an incredibly promising career ahead of him. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.”

Stephen Holding’s brother-in-law Keith Finney, whose sister is Stephen’s widow Maggie, said: “Stephen had done a lot of treks in this country and Scotland but it was the first time he’d been that far afield. He’d been looking forward to it for 18 months.

Darren Kelly had retired to the picture-postcard village of Isle of Whithorn in Dumfries and Galloway with his wife Janice.

He was a keen scuba diver, golfer and cyclist.

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Local harbourmaster Shaun McGuire, 54, said: “He was a really fine fellow and mixed with everyone. He enjoyed a banter with the chaps in the pub especially about football – he was a Bolton Wanderers fan.”

Mr Kelly was a director of Isles Futures, a voluntary renewable energy scheme. He also spent hours clearing local beaches.

Close friend Mark Brocklehurst said: “We are devastated to hear the news of the deaths of Vincent and his brother Darren.

“It is a terrible tragedy. “There aren’t enough words to describe just how wonderful Vincent was – a dedicated family man with a heart of gold who was a perfect role model for all.”

Cheshire East Council said Mr Eagle had been a support worker for the disabled for the last 11 years.

A spokesman said his work enabled people with disabilities to live independently in their own homes.

Neighbour Chris West, 68, said: “Ray was a nice, friendly guy. He has lived here about 10 years. He told me about this holiday some time ago but he didn’t say anything about Mount Everest.”

This morning’s crash came on the anniversary of the 1992 Kathmandu plane disaster in which all 167 people on board were killed, including 36 Brits.

Locals say the latest crash may may been caused because large numbers of vultures are attracted by rubbish dumped alongside the airport.

The remains of a large bird was reportedly found amid the wreckage of the Dornier 9N-AHA, just 500 metres from the runway.

Tulasa Pokharel, 26, who lives close by, said: “I could hear people inside the plane wailing and screaming. We ran to get help and when we came back it was just silence. They were all dead.”

The seven Brits were due to begin a £2,299 a head High Passes of Everest tour, lasting 23 days and organised through Hampshire-based Explore Worldwide.

Explore managing director Ashley Toft said: “We are devastated. Our thoughts are with the families.”

A senior official at Kathmandu airport confirmed: “The last communication we had from the aircraft was that there had been a bird strike.”

The Foreign Office has set up a helpline for concerned relatives on 0207 008 1500.