3 Americans dead in Afghan plane crash

Three Americans were among the 44 people killed when a plane crashed in a mountainous region of Afghanistan last week, Afghanistan's Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

The three were among 15 non-Afghans on the Pamir Airways plane, which crashed May 17 en route from Kunduz to Kabul.

Along with the Americans, the dead included three Britons, three Pakistanis and three Tajiks. There was no immediate information about the nationalities of the remaining three non-Afghans.

The plane was carrying 38 passengers and six crew members when it crashed at 13,500 feet (4,100 meters) in the Shakar Darah district of Kabul province.

Crews have found the plane's voice and data recorders, which have been passed along to aviation officials working to determine the cause of the crash.