Twelve German tourists were among 18 people killed when a passenger plane crashed in Nepal's Everest region.

A total of 14 foreigners are believed to have died, airport officials said.

Only one Nepalese passenger survived as the Yeti Airlines plane crashed during landing at Tenzing-Hillary airport in the eastern town of Lukla, they said.

Nestling on a mountainside at 9,380ft (2,860m), the airport is popular with mountaineers and trekkers heading for expeditions in the Himalayas.

The plane reportedly caught fire after crash-landing and hitting the perimeter boundary at the airstrip.

"Twelve German and two Swiss people were on the passenger manifest," airport official Mohan Adhikari told AFP.

In fine weather, there are daily flights between Lukla and the Nepalese capital Kathmandu.

Lukla's runway is just 20m wide and is set on a slope, with a steep 700m drop at one end.