Three Americans dead as Zimbabwe plane crashes in China

The plane's tail reportedly hit the ground on take-off at Shanghai airport

Three American crew members were killed when a Zimbabwe-registered cargo plane crashed and caught fire on take-off at Shanghai's Pudong airport.

The plane left the runway and crashed into a storage building, sending thick black smoke billowing across the scene.

State media reported the tail of the plane - which was en route to the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek - struck the ground during take-off.

The four remaining crew members were taken to hospital.

China's official Xinhua news agency reported that one of the four was in a critical condition, with the other three said to be seriously injured.

The US embassy in China confirmed that the three dead were American citizens and said one of the injured crew was also American.

Shanghai television reported that the tail of the plane had broken into two or three parts, and that hundreds of firefighters were sent to the scene.